Here Comes Santa Claus
by upncomer
Summary: When Max Keenan plays Santa at the Jeffersonian, a little girl asks him for a family for Christmas. He decides to confront Brennan and Booth in order to keep his promise to the little girl.
1. Chapter 1

The Jeffersonian was decked out in full holiday glory as part of its new exhibit on Christmas around the world. A special holographics program created falling snow in the grand sweeping lobby of the main hall. In the center of the room stood a large Christmas tree covered in red, gold, and green decorations. The tree and other smaller ones stood around an ornate gold throne where Santa Claus sat, reading a poem to a group of children.

"…And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight…"

"Jesus Christ did not encourage his followers to be cannibals!" Santa looked up from his seat and frowned at the two adults that just walked into the grand hall. Every child also turned to look at them, frowning because Santa was interrupted.

"Excuse me you two, but you're being a bit naughty right now. It's not nice to interrupt someone when they're reading a story to children." Santa glared at the pair with one eyebrow raised.

"Sorry 'bout that big man, but Dr. Brennan and I were wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch."

"Of course Agent Booth. Just give me some time to find out what everyone wants and I'd love to join you." The FBI agent nodded at Santa's answer and pulled his partner off to the side to stay out of the way.

"You know Booth, I never understood one part of the Santa myth." Booth looked over at his partner and smiled.

"Look where we are Bones. All of these kids here know that Santa is sitting right there in that gold throne, and plan to tell him exactly what they want for Christmas."

"But shouldn't he already know? I mean according to the song 'Santa Claus is coming to town', he can see you when you're sleeping, knows when you're awake, knows if you've been bad or good, so considering that his powers are somewhat omniscient then shouldn't he already know what they want?" Booth looked at her, somewhat bewildered at her leap in logic.

"I uh guess that could be right. I never really thought about it before…"

"And if we're using songs as a precedent then one would assume that he did already know what they were wishing for because he has that list that he checks twice. Speaking of which if he's supposed to deliver coal to any child that's been bad, then how is it that no one ever seems to get coal? I mean I can't imagine Howard Epps receiving a good report from Santa." She wrinkled her brow as she tried to picture a young Epps getting a stocking full of goodies.

"Bones, please tell me you haven't thought much about the subject."

"Well no, but ever since my father volunteered to play Santa Claus for the Jeffersonian I've been curious about how it is that children don't think more logically about the man behind the myth."

"They don't think about it because kids still believe in magic and have faith in the world." Booth looked at his partner as she considered his words. He shook his head and turned back to the winter wonderland before him. Maybe I can bring Parker to see this, he thought as he watched Max Keenan talk with one child after the next. The old guy really seemed to be trying to atone for his past mistakes.

As Booth mused over Max's volunteer work, Brennan eyed the line of kids, watching the joy and excitement they seemed to exude as they waited their turn to talk with Santa. There was something familiar about the group of kids, who seemed to be an odd mix of races and ages. Watching them for a few minutes, she realized what it was that seemed to be so familiar. These kids were all part of a group home.

"Hey Bones, that little girl at the end there, she kind of reminds me of you." Brennan looked at Booth as he pulled her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Booth pointed to a little girl standing anxiously at the end of the line. She had curly auburn hair pulled up into two ponytails and big blue eyes that took in the wonderland the same way that Brennan took in human remains.

"Is that what you looked like when you were little?" The anthropologist looked at the little girl and smiled. She practically wiggled in anticipation as she got closer to Santa Claus.

"She is quite similar to me, yes."

"You must have been something else back then huh? Ha, I bet you gave your parents a run for their money. Probably wanted to know what everything was and how it worked."

"I admit that I was quite inquisitive at that age." She turned back to watch as the little girl finally got her turn with Santa Claus. Max helped her to sit on his knee and turned his attention fully onto her as she turned her serious blue eyes on him.

"Well sweetheart, what's your name?"

"Norah Grace Taylor."

"That's quite a pretty name. You see that woman over there?" Max pointed to Temperance as she stood off to the side with her partner. Norah nodded and turned back to Max. "She has a pretty name just like you, looks like you too, don't you think?"

"Does she have a family?"

"Well, she has a daddy and a brother. How about you? Is your mommy here with you?"

"Mommy died last year. I live with Miss Sylvia now."

"Oh? Who is Miss Sylvia?" Max looked up as Norah pointed to a frazzled looking woman standing with many of the kids he'd already spoken with. Ah, she's a foster child, he thought.

"She watches over all of us. I like her, but she says that if I'm really good that maybe I can get a family. That's what I want for Christmas." Norah was so serious in her request that Max wasn't quite sure how to respond to her. He glanced up at his own daughter, and noticed her watching Norah intently. A thought flashed through his mind, and with a smile, he turned back to the little girl on his knee.

"I think that Miss Sylvia is right sweetheart. I'm going to promise you that I'll try as hard as I can to make sure you have what you want for Christmas, okay?"

"Really?"

"Cross my heart Norah. If I can, I'll make sure you have a new mommy and maybe a daddy too." Norah hugged Max and bounced off to join the rest of the children with Miss Sylvia. Max sighed and got up out of his chair, ready to join his daughter and her partner for lunch. He had a proposition for the two of them anyway, and knew he had an uphill battle to fight if he was going to get that family for little Norah Grace.


	2. Chapter 2

"You want me to do what?" Brennan looked at her father, unsure if she heard him correctly or not. He couldn't really be asking her to do this. It seemed a little upfront for him.

"I want you to help me grant those foster kids their Christmas wishes. I think they deserve to have a good holiday, don't you?" Brennan's mouth tightened and she glanced over at Booth to see if he would offer her any help. His face remained unreadable much to her frustration. It certainly wasn't that she begrudged the kids a holiday; far from it. There just had to be an ulterior motive to his request.

"Of course those children deserve to know someone cares about them. I just want to know why you thought of doing this in the first place."

"Let's say that I'm in the Christmas spirit." He smiled at his daughter, his own charm smile, fighting to keep the expression as she looked at him suspiciously.

"Max, you've seen 'Miracle on 34th Street, haven't you," Booth asked as he dug into his slice of pie. Ah, pumpkin pie. It was a shame it wasn't available all year round.

"Of course I have, it's a classic. Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood were great in that film. I always loved the way that Kris Kringle was able to grant everyone's wish. Kind of puts you in the philanthropic mood, you know?"

"That wasn't the direction I was going. There was a point when Alfred said that playing Santa was a way to atone for something you feel guilty about." Booth looked up at Max with an eyebrow raised.

"We all three know that I have a lot to make up for, but that doesn't mean I have some sneaky reason for wanting to get a few Christmas gifts for those kids." Max turned his attention back onto his daughter, his eyes imploring. "Please help me with this honey. It would mean the world to me and I'm sure it would mean everything to those kids."

"Fine dad, I'll help out," Brennan said with a sigh of defeat. Max glanced quickly at Booth and saw the momentary flash of emotion across the agent's face. Well, he thought. If I'm playing Santa, then maybe I can get everyone what they want for Christmas. "How do you want to do this?"

"Well, I thought that maybe you could help me find the group home these kids are in and we could ask if it's okay to set up Christmas for them. I can't imagine that the people in charge can really provide a whole lot for those kids."

"No, they can't," Brennan said, her tone tightened somewhat. Of course this would be a touchy subject with his daughter.

"Sweetheart, I don't want you to feel like you're being coerced into this. If you're uncomfortable, I completely understand."

"Dad, I said I would do this, so I'll help you out. I'll find out where the children are living and you can talk with whoever is caring for them. Once everything is approved, then I'll get the money together for whatever gifts need to be purchased."

"Okay baby. I can do that." He took a sip of his coffee and tried to keep the frown off of his face. There had to be a way he could get Brennan to meet Norah. If she didn't see the little girl, then his whole plan would be for naught. He glanced over to Booth who was watching him with an appraising look. "Booth, when do you have Parker next?"

"I have him this weekend. Why?"

"You should take him to the Christmas exhibit. It seems like something he'd like." The suspicious look on Booth's face remained. Max sighed. "Is it too much to ask that I get to see him again? You've got a good kid there."

"Thanks Max. I think I might do that." The ex-con looked at his watch and stood up. "Well, looks like I have to get back to the museum. As they say, no rest for the wicked." Brennan and Booth watched as Max left the diner before looking at each other.

"What do you think he's up to," Temperance asked as she kept an eye on her father. He was walking away from the diner, whistling.

"I don't know, but as much as I respect your father, I don't trust him as far as I can throw him when I know he's being so obviously sneaky."

"Do you think you could go with him to the group home? You have a better read on people than I do."

"Nah, you just don't give yourself enough credit, that's all."

"Well in this case, I think you'd have a better guess about what he was up to than I would." Booth contemplated the situation and nodded in assent.

"Okay. I'll pull the addresses for the local group homes and take your father to go see whoever runs them. Regardless of his reasoning, I think it's nice what he wants to do for those kids." Booth and Brennan stood up to leave as Booth threw a few bills down onto the table to pay for lunch. He helped Brennan into her coat, his fingers brushing up against her back as she shrugged it up over her shoulders. At the contact, the pair looked at each other, both sensing the electricity at the simple touch. Temperance was the first to look away.

"Thank you Booth for help with my father."

"Hey, no problem Bones," he responded, clearing his throat before guiding her from the diner. They stepped out into the brisk December air, their breath coming out in puffs as they walked back toward the Jeffersonian. "So are you getting together with your dad and Russ for Christmas?" Temperance brightened somewhat at the mention of her brother.

"Yes. Russ and Amy are visiting with the girls, so we're going to celebrate the holidays at my place this year. It'll be nice having everyone there, no coercion or interference for once." They smiled at each other, and as Brennan linked her arm into Booth's he glanced down at her. She usually wasn't the one to initiate physical contact, and his stomach tightened in anticipation…of what he wasn't sure.

"That sounds great. Are you cooking, or is your father demanding to do it?"

"Are you kidding? Dad was never able to make a turkey. He knew how to carve it, but the one year he tried to make it for my mom…" Temperance laughed and shook her head. That was the first time she remembered not having turkey for Christmas. "After that, we had ham every year."

"We always used to go to my Aunt Ruth's house. She and Fanny could cook a mean turkey, and she always gave me the drumsticks since it was my favorite part."

"Leave it to you Seeley Booth to like the unhealthiest meat on a turkey." Booth smiled at her use of his first name. It was a rare occurrence that she used it and it always sounded so good coming from her lips. "Are you and Jared spending the holidays together?"

"Nah. I have Parker in the morning, and then Rebecca's picking him up before they go to her mom's house. I'll be at home watching sports or something."

"Then why don't you join us? I know dad won't mind, and the girls still can't stop talking about the Christmas tree."

"I couldn't interfere. That's your family time."

"Don't be ridiculous Booth. You're my family as much as dad and Russ are." He looked at her and pulled her in closer to his side.

"Sure Bones, I'd like that. Hey, do you want to come with me and Parker to the museum this weekend? I think your dad's right; Parker would love that exhibit."

"Okay. Consider it a date." She smiled up at him as they continued on their way, oblivious to the effect her words had on the special agent.

XxXxX

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Max looked from Booth to the house in front of him. There was no way that all of those kids could be living in such a small house.

"Yeah, this is the address for the only Sylvia currently providing a home for kids in the area. You did say her name was Sylvia, right?"

"That's what I was told." The two men approached the front door and knocked. After a moment, the door opened out toward them making them jump back slightly. Max glanced down at the child standing at the door and smiled. It was little Norah Grace. She looked at him curiously, those serious blue eyes taking in his appearance before she grinned up at him.

"You're Santa Claus," she said with certainty. Max grinned at her as Booth's eyebrows shot up. How in the world could that little girl recognize him outside of his costume?

"That's right Norah. Is Miss Sylvia here?" The little girl nodded and ran off to another room. Max and Booth could hear the raucous sound of children playing, the occasional one running past the front door. It took a moment before Sylvia made it to the door with Norah at her heels.

"I'm Sylvia Preston. Norah said you were Santa Claus?" She looked from Max to Booth and back again. Booth smiled at the older woman and showed his badge to her.

"Ma'am, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. I was wondering if we could have a word with you in private." Sylvia's expression dropped, and was instantly replaced with worry.

"Of course, come on in." She moved aside to allow Booth and Max inside and turned down toward Norah. "Dear heart, could you please go play with the other kids?"

"Okay Miss Sylvia," she said brightly before turning to Max. "It's nice to see you again Santa."

"Well it's nice to see you too." Both he and Booth watched as she bounced off into the other room. He was still struck at how much she looked like Temperance when she was a little girl. Once she was gone, both men turned their attention back to Sylvia.

"Miss Preston, we aren't here for any bad news, I just want you to know that at the outset," Booth said as she ushered them into a sitting room, quickly cleaning off two chairs before they sat down.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Max here works as Santa over at the Jeffersonian Institute's museum. After speaking with your kids the yesterday, he approached someone at the Institute about providing Christmas gifts for them. We're here to see if that's okay with you." Sylvia looked from one man to the next, speechless. This couldn't be happening, not really.

"You're not pulling my leg with this, are you?"

"I assure you that we're serious," Max said. "I spoke with all of these kids yesterday so I know what it is that they're asking for. I think it's time to spread a little holiday cheer to them, don't you?"

"This is… I can't even describe… Thank you."

"It's not a problem. I'll have all of their gifts ready for them on Christmas Eve so they'll have them Christmas day." Sylvia stood and threw her arms around Max in gratitude.

"I don't know what to say. I was so worried about the holidays this year. Normally I try to make sure that everyone has gifts, but this year what with the economy being what it is…" She shook her head and looked at both men once she had her composure back. "Thank you."

"It's our pleasure ma'am."

"I know you said that you spoke with the children, but why don't I go get a list together for you so there's no confusion. Anything you can do would be wonderful, but I want to make sure no one's disappointed."

"Of course Miss Preston. Did you want to send the list over, or do you want me to come back for it?"

"If you have just a couple of minutes, I can get it together for you right now." At their permissive nods, Sylvia jumped up to get the list together. Max and Booth followed her to take a look at the kids in her care. There were twelve in total, ranging in age from twelve down to one child that had to be just over a year old. As they looked over the group, Booth felt a light tug on his jacket. He looked down, his face splitting into a grin at the sight of Norah Grace.

"Well hey there kiddo." She took in his easy smile and met it with her inquisitive gaze.

"Are you here about my present?"

"Yup, that's what Santa and I are here for."

"So you're going to be my new daddy?" Her face lit up with so much enthusiasm that Booth tried to hide his confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Santa promised me a family for Christmas and now he's here with you! I knew he was really Santa Claus, but Joey says he isn't." Booth glanced up from Norah and met Max Keenan's stricken gaze. So that's what the old man was up to. He sighed and looked back at the little girl not sure how to answer her question as he cursed Max for putting him in this position.


	3. Chapter 3

"I can't believe you'd do that Max," Booth ranted as he drove away from the group home. He was seething, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he tried to gain control of his anger. "I can't believe you'd promise that little girl a family for Christmas. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that she deserves a family, and when I make a promise, I follow through."

"Yeah, and how exactly were you planning on granting that particular wish?"

"That really isn't any of your business Agent Booth. I don't care if I have to adopt her myself. She will get that wish granted." Booth glanced over at Max and took in the set of his jaw. The man was as stubborn as his daughter.

"You're going to try and talk Bones into adopting Norah, aren't you?" Max looked once at Booth and then turned his attention back out the window of the SUV.

"The thought did cross my mind."

"No. You are not going to do this to her. She doesn't like being manipulated, and I refuse to let you do that to her again."

"I haven't manipulated her."

"Yes Max, you have, and I refuse to let you do it again, you got that?"

"Booth, I'm not asking for your help with this, but please, don't tell Temperance. I'll talk to her in my own time and way. I don't want her biased because your opinion matters to her." There was a long pause as Booth thought about what Max was asking. The last few times he'd withheld any information from his partner, it hadn't gone well. The biggest error was not telling her himself that he was still alive after being shot by Pam Noonan. She'd punched him for that one, but the other time to him was infinitely worse. He didn't tell her that he'd traded his credit on a huge case for his brother's DUI charge, and she'd thought him a loser. His gut tightened at the thought of withholding anything else from her.

"I can't guarantee that I won't talk with her about it if she asks me, but I won't bring up the subject. That's the best I can do." Max glanced over at Booth once again and smirked at the agent.

That's exactly why you aren't with her, isn't it? You don't want to talk about how you feel about her, so unless she brings it up, you're not planning to tell her that you want her as more than a partner."

"Stay out of this Max." Booth's jaw clenched again. What the hell did Max know about his feelings for his partner? He didn't know anything.

"You know, I seem to recall that Kris Kringle got everyone what they wanted for Christmas in 'Miracle on 34th Street'. I think it's time that you start believing in the magic of the season Booth."

"Hey, I'm full of the Christmas Spirit. You don't get more Christmassy than me."

"Uh-huh, sure. Look Booth, I know what you want for Christmas, so if you don't have it by Christmas day then I will never play Santa Claus again."

"As if you've played Santa before." Max laughed and leaned back in the seat.

"You should ask Temperance about that. Just remember what I've said Booth. You don't say anything to my daughter and I'll grant your Christmas wish."

XxXxX

"Evening honey," Max called from the kitchen of Brennan's apartment when she walked through the door that evening.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" She shrugged out of her winter coat and hung it on a peg by the door.

"I know you usually work late, so I thought I'd make you some dinner. We haven't had much time to visit lately and I thought that we could spend the evening together." He carried two plates of food to the table and set them down. Brennan looked over the food, surprised that her father stuck to a vegetarian menu.

"I suppose that would be okay. Were you able to find the group home today?"

"Yes, we were. The woman who runs the home, Sylvia was thrilled at the thought of someone helping with Christmas. She gave me a list with the names of all the kids there and what they want from Santa." His lips quirked upwards at that. "Ha, I'll bet this is the first time they'll actually get their presents from Santa."

"I suppose it is," Temperance said as she sat down to eat. They were both quiet, just enjoying the meal for a while before Max looked hesitantly at his daughter.

"You know, while I was at the home, I really felt for those kids. Honestly baby, if I knew that you were going to end up in the system… I'm sorry you had to go through that." Brennan didn't respond as she began to pick at her food. She and her father had avoided the subject, hoping that maybe the remaining ill feelings would somehow disappear.

"Mom…in the video mom made for me she said that you wanted us to go with you when you ran. Was she just saying that dad? Did she really talk you out of keeping us together?"

"That was the hardest decision I've ever made. I just couldn't say no to your mother, and I agreed that you and Russ would be safer away from us. Once she… after I buried her, I went to look for you, see if you were safe. When I saw that you were in a home, I was horrified. I truly thought that Russ would be with you. So I made arrangements for you to get out of the system."

"Dad, please tell me that you didn't have some acquaintance pose as family to get me out of the system."

"No. I sucked up my pride and went to your mother's father. He agreed to take you in, and perhaps I should have gone to him sooner. You never would have ended up in foster care that way."

"Well, it's too late for that," she said and took her plate to the kitchen. She didn't want to talk about this anymore. Max watched her for a moment and pushed ahead, needing to get out what he was going to say.

"I think in a way I'm trying to make up for that error by helping these kids. You should see them honey, especially one little girl. She's just like you were at her age." He smiled, thinking about the way Norah was so curious about everything.

"Was she the little girl at the Jeffersonian?"

"Yes. She's a sweet little thing, wants a family for Christmas, isn't that cute?"

"Please tell me you didn't promise her anything?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because it's what you do dad. You and Booth are so much alike when it comes to fixing the world's problems. Both of you think that you have to make everything right."

"You know, studies have shown that females often look for men that share traits with their fathers."

"Yes, but they're also biologically programmed to find people with much different genetic makeup to be attractive. It's nature's way of keeping a healthy population."

"So what if you find both? What if the person who is a genetically perfect match for you also has the qualities that you're looking for in a mate? Shouldn't you take a chance with them?"

"Gah, dad stop it. Don't play matchmaker with me, it won't work. Believe me, Angela's tried."

"I'm only trying to look out for your best interests honey. I know you can take care of yourself, but don't you want someone to watch over you?"

"No. I'm satisfied with the life that I have. I don't need a relationship to validate me as a person."

"Okay, I get it. You want to spend your life by yourself. Leave the relationship and kids for someone else because you're okay on your own. It doesn't matter if you're happy or not, because you can take care of yourself."

"That's not what I'm saying, and I resent the implication that I'd rather be alone than in a relationship."

"That certainly is not what I was implying. I think you deserve a rich and full life surrounded by people who love you. You just seem to have blinders on when it comes to seeing that you are loved, deeply."

"Dad, just stop it, okay? You of all people have no right to comment on my life. You haven't been back in my life long enough for that." Max nodded, but looked hurt at her words.

"Fine, I'll stay out of your business from now on. Live life the way you want to, it is yours after all." He moved to the front door and shrugged on his jacket. Well, this evening didn't go the way he'd intended, he thought as he opened the door to the apartment. "I'll see you later Temperance." With that, he left before she could say another word. Brennan stood staring at her door, angry at him for implying that she was making mistakes in her life and angry at herself for letting him get to her that way.

Why was it that everyone assumed that she could only be validated by having a man in her life and two point five children? She didn't want to have any children and as Booth so often pointed out, she didn't have a good record when it came to choosing a life partner. The closest she came to a meaningful relationship was with Sully, but in the end, he wouldn't stay around. Obviously the call of the ocean was much more appealing to him than staying with her. Booth never would have left. If he had to choose staying or leaving, she knew he wouldn't leave.

That thought left her feeling somewhat confused. Why was she so sure that he wouldn't leave her? They were only friends and partners. It wasn't as though they had a more serious relationship going on. She cocked her head to the side as she thought about her partner. He was one of the most caring people she knew and so family oriented. She'd been around him and Parker on numerous occasions…

Brennan's face fell. What if she wasn't seen as a desirable mate because of her thoughts on marriage and children? Would those beliefs be enough to off put men that had desirable traits? She hurried over to her door and pulled on her jacket. This was something she needed to discuss, and knew just the person to talk with about the issue.

XxXxX

"Bones, I wasn't expecting to see you here. What's up," Booth asked as he stepped aside and let Brennan into his apartment.

"Am I off-putting to men?"

"What?"

"Are my views on relationships enough to make men with good qualities stay away from me?" Booth stared at her, not sure where she was going with this conversation.

"What?"

"I like children. I do, but I just don't want to bring a child into this world knowing what kind of evil is out there. Is that such a point of contention that decent men wouldn't be interested in me?"

"Actually I think there are a lot of men that would be relieved that you don't want to have children. You aren't going in to a relationship with the expectation of that person being the one and the father of your children."

"But not you." It wasn't a question. Booth looked at her, confused.

"What do I have to do with anything?"

"You're a traditionalist who wants to get married and have a large family. I don't want those things. See, that's why I told my father to stay out of my love life. It's not like you have feelings beyond the platonic for me. And if you did then I'm sure my very adamant statements regarding your traditional values are off-putting." Booth opened his mouth to speak but couldn't think of how he wanted to phrase what he needed to say. Brennan hung her head at his silence and turned for his door. It was quite obvious that she was right.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: To all of those Americans out there, Happy Thanksgiving. Thus begins the season of giving, time to be nice to your fellow man and do good deeds so that Santa Max can bring you all the things you wish for this holiday season. To everyone else, Happy kickoff to the holiday season, and I hope that you also get everything you wish for this year. With that, please enjoy this chapter of my lovely Christmas tale. Please let me know what you think by hitting that little button after you read. Cheers!_

Booth stood for a moment, stunned that Brennan could ever think that he didn't accept her beliefs in marriage and children. How could she think that it would hinder what he felt about her? He rushed for the door, struggling with the handle for a minute before flinging it open. He ran down the drive and watched as he got into her car. Shoot. Rushing alongside the car, he grabbed onto the handle of the driver's side door before she could back out of the driveway.

"Booth, let go of my car," she said, trying not to look at him. In the glare of a passing car's headlights, he caught sight of tear tracks on her cheeks. His stomach dropped at the thought that he'd made her cry.

"No Bones, not until you let me explain. You just surprised me, that's all. I don't think you're off-putting at all, okay? In fact I think you're one of the best people I know. There's nothing wrong with you or your beliefs." Brennan finally turned and met his gaze. As always, she was taken in by the emotions showing in his warm, brown eyes.

"So you don't think that it's a problem that I don't want to have children or get married?"

"No, why would I have a problem with that?"

"Well, you have a set of very traditional values. Obviously marriage and family is important to you, and I don't imagine that you'd be satisfied being involved with someone who didn't share your core set of beliefs." Both were still as they searched the other for answers to unasked questions. After a moment, Booth leaned in closer to Brennan to look her in the eyes.

"Are you saying that you want to be in a relationship with me?" He watched as her expression changed to resemble a deer caught in the headlights.

"I uh was merely trying to determine if my beliefs were you know, acceptable…"

"To me. You wanted to know if I thought you were off putting. I don't, so I'll ask again Temperance. Do you want to be in a relationship with me outside of the professional?"

"Can I get back to you on that Booth?"

"What? Can you… look Bones, you either do or don't want to do this, so which is it?"

"I don't know. Please Booth, let me think about it. Please." Booth sighed and moved away from the car. He ran a hand down over his face and sighed. Damn Max for getting into his head like this. Why did he think that Brennan would think he could offer her anything?

"Fine. Just think about it and let me know when you make up your mind." When their eyes met again, he knew instantly that she could see the hurt evident in his expression.

"Booth…"

"No, it's okay, I understand. I'll see you on Saturday. You still want to go with me and Parker to the exhibit, right?"

"Of course. I'll see you there I guess."

"Yeah." He stepped further away and watched as she drove off. Once she was out of sight, he cursed under his breath and kicked at a nearby rock. Damn Max for getting his hopes up about furthering his relationship with Bones. With a sigh, he went back in his house and picked up his beer. Maybe it was for the best. What could he contribute to a relationship with her anyway? He certainly wasn't as smart as she was, and definitely wasn't her type, if the usual stream of losers was any indication.

He took a swig of his beer and sat back on the couch. Nope, this was obviously something that wasn't supposed to happen. Max could try to play Santa all he wanted, but this was one guy who was going to lose his faith in the old man.

XxXxX

"You didn't give him an answer? Sweetie, what are you thinking?" Angela pushed a shopping cart down the aisles of the toy warehouse as Brennan looked over the list her father gave her.

"I was thinking that I needed to talk to someone about this first. What on earth is a Wii?"

"It's a game console sweetie. Actually it's quite fun to play, and why do you think that you need to talk to someone about this whole thing with Booth?"

"When you came to me after Hodgins asked you out, I told you that the workplace is rarely conducive to a romance. Just when I thought I was wrong, the two of you broke up. That certainly doesn't give me confidence that furthering my relationship with Booth would be a wise move. Can you grab a ticket for that console please?" Angela pulled the ticket and turned back to Brennan, her arms crossed.

"Sweetie, when has it ever been a good idea to base a relationship off of my past experiences? Kirk asked me to marry him, but I wouldn't."

"That was probably a good thing considering you were already married at the time."

"Which I didn't know about, thank you very much. I really did think that things would work out with Jack. I still am not sure what happened, but you and Booth, that's different. You've had something from day one. We all can see it."

"Our value systems are totally different, and that's not likely to change. I don't think that I can be what he needs."

"Why don't you let him make that decision sweetie?" Angela gave a gentle squeeze to Brennan's arm and smiled a bit sadly at her friend. Temperance sighed and crossed her arms, looking away from her friend.

"You're right, I just… ow." She looked down to see what had just collided with her legs. There at her feet was a little girl with big blue eyes and two ponytails. She looked on the verge of tears as her bottom lip began to quiver. Brennan bent down to help the little girl to her feet. "Hey, are you okay? You hit pretty hard, not hard enough to damage anything but I imagine that it still didn't feel good."

"I'm okay, thank you." The girl said, fighting valiantly to not cry. Brennan brushed the dirt off of the little girl's knees and appraised her. Recognition washed over her and she smiled.

"You're the little girl from the museum. Norah Grace, right?" Norah smiled at the recognition and cocked her head as she looked at Temperance.

"You're the pretty lady that Santa said has a pretty name." Brennan's eyebrows went up.

"He said that?"

"Uh-huh. What is your name?" Temperance looked at Angela. The artist just stood to the side, smiling as she watched the interaction.

"My name is Temperance Brennan." Norah smiled, her whole face lighting up as she did so.

"I like that. It is pretty, just like he said."

"Thank you Norah. Now, who are you here with? I think they're probably looking for you."

"I'm here with Miss Sylvia. She said I could be her helper today when she went shopping. That's the special job." Brennan took Norah's hand and turned to Angela.

"Ange, do you think you can get the rest of what's on the list? I'm going to see if I can find her guardian."

"Sure, of course sweetie. I'll meet you at the registers, okay?" Brennan smiled at her friend and headed off with Norah.

"Do you like Miss Sylvia," Brennan asked as she looked up and down the aisles with the little girl.

"Miss Sylvia's really nice. She makes my heart happy. I've lived with her ever since my momma died." Norah swung Brennan's hand a little as they walked and smiled up at her. Brennan couldn't help but smile back at her. She paused when she heard the frantic call of a name from the rows and rows of toys in the store. "That's Miss Sylvia."

"Well, I'm sure she's worried about you, so why don't we go find her, okay?"

"Okay Miss Temperance." Brennan's heart swelled a bit at the way the polite little girl addressed her. It reminded her a lot of Parker, even though he tended to call her Bones, emulating his father's behavior.

"Oh thank heavens, there you are dear heart. Why'd you run off like that?" Sylvia looked relieved as she dropped down to hug Norah Grace.

"I'm sorry Miss Sylvia, but I was looking for that star map."

"Don't run off like that! What if someone took you? I couldn't stand it if something like that happened to you." She hugged Norah once more and stood up, smiling at Temperance.

"Thank you so much for helping her." Brennan shook a proffered hand with a smile.

"You're welcome. I'm sure that it's hectic enough trying to keep track of all the kids you take care of."

"How did you know…"

"I'm Santa's daughter. I agreed to help him with the Christmas presents for the children you're fostering."

"Bless your heart, dear. That is the nicest thing that anyone's done for these kids in a long time, and I just want you to know how much it's appreciated."

"It's my pleasure."

"Well God has a special place in heaven for people like you and your father. Bless you and have a Merry Christmas." Brennan waved at Norah as the pair disappeared down one of the aisles of toys. Once they were gone, Brennan paused for a moment, lost in thought before tracking down the star map that Norah Grace wanted.

XxXxX

"Time for bed Dear heart," Sylvia said as she made her way into the girls' room that night. Five of the six girls were already tucked in and ready to sleep except for Norah. She was at the window, staring out at the clear night sky. "Come on Norah, it's bedtime."

Norah sighed and moved from the window, heading to the lower bunk that was her bed. Sylvia tucked the blankets in around her and swept the girl's auburn locks out of her face.

"Miss Sylvia, do you think that Santa will really get me what I want for Christmas?"

"I think that if he promised you he would get something, then he will. Did you put it on the list for him when he stopped by the other day?"

"No, I just said that I wanted a teddy bear. I told him what I really want when we saw him at the museum."

"Oh? And what was that dear?" Norah smiled and glanced once more toward the clear night sky.

"I said I wanted a family for Christmas, and you know what?" Sylvia looked alarmed at the news.

"What?"

"I'm gonna pray really hard so Miss Temperance will be my mommy."


	5. Chapter 5

"Honey, what are you doing," Max asked as he popped his head into Brennan's home office. She was digging through the closet, moving boxes around and balancing precariously as she did so. She poked her head out of the closet and blew a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"I'm looking for the old family photo albums I took with me into foster care," she said and ducked back into the closer.

"You kept the pictures?"

"Well I wasn't about to leave them for someone else to throw away. Aha!" She slid out with a box in tow. Temperance carried the box out to her living room and sat down on the couch, motioning for Max to take a seat with her.

"Any particular reason you decided to go through these?"

"No. I just haven't looked at them since I identified mom's remains." She handed a stack of photos to her father and watched as he flipped through them. He started to laugh and set down one of the pictures.

"Do you remember when we took that trip to Philadelphia when you were eight?"

"You mean that one where Russ pouted the whole time because he had his first girlfriend and didn't want to leave her?"

"That's the one. We went to Independence Hall and you corrected the tour guide. You were always such a smart little girl."

"I still am smart; I'm just older." Max picked up another photo. It was a picture taken just after Temperance was born. Russ sat on the bed with Christine as she held the newborn little girl. Max gently traced Christine's features as he looked at the photograph.

"You brought so much joy to your mom and me. We were so proud of you and your brother." He looked up at Temperance as he set the picture down. "I'd never trade a moment of the time I had with you."

"Booth says that being a parent is the greatest accomplishment of his life, but becoming a parent is predicated upon whose sperm hits whose egg."

"No it isn't honey. That's creating a life. Have you ever heard someone say, 'those people shouldn't be allowed to be parents'? It takes a lot to be a parent. It's more than feeding and sheltering a child. It's taking the time to be there for them, spending time with them, nurturing them that makes someone a parent. When you do that, it's the most wonderful experience in the world."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said and turned back to the pictures, not really listening when her father would relate another story. Instead, her thoughts were on something else that Booth once said. 'Who would there be to be proud of you'? Was it as easy as all of that? Apparently pride worked both ways if Parker's emulation of his father was any indication. If Booth used a nickname for someone, them Parker did too. Booth worried that he wasn't good enough to provide for his son, worried that he wasn't good enough. It was a shame too, because he was an excellent father. The big question that occupied her mind though, was whether or not she was good enough to be a parent, and she had doubts about that.

XxXxX

Booth sighed as he sat on his couch and watched 'It's a Wonderful Life'. It had been two days since he'd last heard from his partner. He didn't want to push her into any sort of decision, because pressure was likely to have a negative effect on her. A knock sounded on the door, and he heaved up to answer it. When he looked through the peep hole, his heart began to beat just a little bit faster.

"Bones, hey what's brought you here?" He stepped aside as he opened the door to let her inside. She shifted a bit from side to side and cleared her throat before talking.

"I was planning to shop for Haley and Emma, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me."

"What, you mean like on a date?"

"Booth…" He sighed, moved back to his couch and sat down. Brennan remained standing by the front door.

"Okay, maybe that was a little unfair I guess. I just… I'd like to know where I stand with you right now." He looked up at his partner as she continued to shift a bit from foot to foot. It wasn't like her to be nervous, so he waited patiently for her answer. He knew it would kill him if she wanted to keep things the way they were, but if that's what she wanted, then he'd respect that. Brennan cleared her throat again and looked away from his intense stare.

"I think that we should give a non-professional relationship a try, but tonight I simply would like some company." Booth grinned as relief washed over him. She wanted to take things further.

"Sure Bones, I can be great company," he said and watched as her face lit up with a smile. Obviously she'd been as nervous as he was. "So why exactly do you want me to help you shop?"

"You have a better sense of what children like than I do."

"Oh come on Bones," Booth began as he turned off the television and put on his shoes. "You did a great job with Andy, and I've seen you with those girls. Anyway, why do you think that I know more about what girls like than you do?"

"I suppose it's because you're the parent and I'm not." Booth glanced at her as they left the apartment. There was something to her voice that reminded him of when she wanted to adopt Ripley. He still felt guilty about having the dog put down because he felt it was one of the only times she was disappointed with him.

"Bones?"

"Yeah Booth?"

"You aren't thinking of adopting, are you?" She turned and looked sharply at Booth.

"No, I wasn't. Why, do you think I wouldn't be a good parent?" He stopped her before she could get into her car.

"It's not that at all. I just don't want you making any decisions without thinking everything through, that's all. I mean, I'd hate for you to be unprepared or worse, disappointed if things didn't work out." Brennan scoffed and looked at her partner.

"When have I ever made a decision without thinking everything through? Just get in the car." She climbed in the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. Would she really be that out of place if she did choose to adopt. She glared at Booth for a moment when he finally settled into the passenger seat. "Besides, it's not as if I'm asking you to father a child with me or anything."

"What?"

"Well you make it sound like I'm completely out of my mind if I were to consider adoption. It's not as if I've decided to have a child and was just looking for a donor."

"That is not what I meant when I asked. I think you'd make a great parent, but I don't want you making a decision on something your father promised a little girl."

"What are you talking about? Dad hasn't said anything to me about adopting a child."

"He hasn't?" Shit. Booth wanted to kick himself as she began to stare through him, trying to figure out the answer to a question.

"You aren't telling me something Booth. What is my father up to?"

"He's not up to anything, I swear." Oh he was so going to hell for lying. "I just heard that little girl from the museum say that she wanted a family for Christmas, and I thought your dad promised her he'd find her one. If he didn't say anything to you then I'm obviously wrong." He held his breath, hoping to God that she'd drop the issue. So much for not saying anything to her like he'd said. Brennan continued to look at him and finally shrugged before backing up and taking off down the street. Booth let out a breath and glanced at her from the side of his eye. She seemed more contemplative than angry, and he wondered if she was just waiting to accuse him of lying.

Neither said anything while she drove, and there was a bit of tension to the silence. When she pulled up to an empty spot along a street, Booth looked at her curiously.

"I don't like going to malls around the holidays. There are always too many people and they make the holiday seem too commercial," she said by way of explanation. Booth simply nodded and joined her on the street.

"So, do you have any idea what you want to get the girls for Christmas?" He placed his hand on her back as always and felt her tense up slightly. Was she still mad at him? He quickly pulled his hand back and shoved it in his pocket instead.

"I was thinking about getting them some books, or maybe something that would allow them to learn while they played."

"Sounds like you might want to go to the Discovery Store. They have all sorts of nifty games and gadgets for kids. Ever since your dad started teaching Parker science, it's his favorite store."

"Hmmm, I'll have to look in there. What else are girls interested in?"

"I don't know. I mean do they like art projects, or are they more the tea party types? Do they like stuffed animals or do they prefer to play video games? I mean it makes a huge difference." Brennan sighed and crossed her arms.

"See, I don't know. They're my nieces so I should know that type of information." She looked at Booth, a small worry wrinkle between her brows.

"Don't worry about it Bones. I think you're letting your brain get in the way on this one. If you see something you think they'd like, just get it, okay? You know the answers, you're just thinking too hard."

"But thinking's kind of my thing." Booth snorted and shook his head. He threw his arm around her shoulders and hauled her up against his side noting the earlier tension wasn't there.

"Then follow a little bit of old advice and put your brain in neutral." Brennan turned toward Booth and noted how close they were as the cold winter air turned their breath into visible puffs. She leaned in toward him a little bit more as he mirrored her movements. Their lips were so close to touching, their breath mingling as if it were from one person. As they moved to make the final connection, Booth's phone went off. He cursed under his breath and moved away from Brennan to answer it.

Temperance watched him move a short distance away and then turned to look in the shop window before her. She was stood in front of a children's furniture boutique, and the set up in the window was completely whimsical. A metal daybed with a swirling butterfly pattern stood in front of sheer white curtains embroidered with various colored dragon flies. Everything was feminine without being too girly and Brennan smiled at the display.

"Sorry about that," Booth said as he rejoined her. "Rebecca was just confirming for Saturday."

"That's okay. Is everything set then for taking Parker to the museum?"

"Absolutely, and I get him for the whole weekend." Brennan smiled at her partner and turned back to the window display.

"Do you think she'd like this bedroom set?"

"Who, Rebecca?"

"No, of course not. I meant…" Brennan paused as she realized she was about to say Norah.

"Are you planning to get your nieces new bedding or something?"

"Um, no. I just thought… it's not important. Come on, I still have to get my shopping done and we're wasting time." Temperance grabbed his hand and began walking again. Booth shrugged and moved up by her side, not noticing as she glanced back once more at the bed set.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oh wow daddy, look at the snow!" Parker turned in circles as he took in the winter wonderland that filled the Jeffersonian. Booth smiled at his son and ruffled his blond curls as he glanced up and looked around the main hall. Temperance was supposed to meet them here, but apparently hadn't arrived yet.

"Yeah, you remember Angela from the science lab? Well she helped make all of this snow." Parker looked at his father, his eyes big in wonder.

"Cool!" The little boy turned once more and grinned as he saw Brennan enter the main hall from the direction of the lab. He took off at a run and threw himself at her, enveloping her waist as he hugged her. "Bones, did you see all the snow? Daddy said that Angela helped make it."

"Yes she did Parker, and when you see her next maybe she'll show you how she did it." Brennan returned the hug and looked up as Booth approached. Her heart beat a little faster as he smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Hey Bones, glad you could make it."

"I said I'd be here didn't I?" She took Booth's hand and interlocked her fingers with his as they watched Parker move around the hall while he examined all of the decorations. Since her declaration a few days earlier that they could give a romantic relationship a try, she'd been making an effort to keep in contact with Booth, whether by small touches or even extended eye contact. They hadn't been overt in any way, but her co-workers still noticed the change in behavior. Her father for one had grinned when he saw them together, though he didn't say anything to them about it.

"Are we gonna see Grandpa Max," Parker asked as he looked up at Brennan. She glanced at Booth in surprise.

"Your father said he could call him that."

"Ah, well my dad is playing Santa Claus right now, but he can join us when he's done for the day if you'd like." Parker looked up at her with a confused expression.

"He's playing Santa Claus?" At Brennan's nod, he turned to his father. "Dad, can we go see him so I can tell him what I want?"

"Sure bub, but remember not to take up too much of his time. He's working." Parker nodded and tugged the two adults into line to see Santa. As they slowly advanced forward, Brennan tapped Booth on the shoulder.

"I'm curious about something. If Parker knows that he's not seeing Santa Claus, then why does he still want to tell him his Christmas list?" Booth laughed a little and pulled Brennan closer into his side.

"Because Bones, your father is obviously one of Santa's helpers, and if he can find out what Parker wants, then he can let the real Santa know, right bub?"

"Uh-huh. Do you think he can make big wishes come true like Kris Kringle did in that movie?"

"I think my father likes to think he can. When I was about your age, my father played Santa Claus at a local homeless shelter. He sat down with every child that was there and found out what they wanted for Christmas. A lot of them wanted a new home, so he somehow found enough money to get them into an apartment…" Brennan drifted off as she looked up at her father. Where did he manage to find that money? Booth glanced once at her and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Really? That's just like the movie when he found that house for Susan Walker. That's so cool, he really is magic." Parker bounced up and down on the balls of his feet as he waited with renewed enthusiasm for his turn with Max. Booth leaned in toward Brennan and spoke quietly so his son wouldn't overhear.

"Bones, just let it go, okay? It doesn't matter now where he found the money. For all you know it could have been charitable donations. Your father is too careful to have risked his neck to steal anything at that point."

"It doesn't matter. That money was made dishonestly Booth."

"You don't know that. If it bothers you that much then talk to him about it. You know he's not going to lie to you." Brennan sighed and shook her head.

"Fine. I'll bring it up later on."

"That's the spirit. Now how's about we forget about the money thing for now and enjoy our time with my son?"

"That sounds like a plan." Booth winked at Brennan and bumped her shoulder with his own. They stepped off to the side as Parker finally got his turn, watching as he clambered up into Max's lap.

"Well hey there Parker, are you enjoying the exhibit?"

"Yup. Daddy and Bones said you could come to dinner with us. You'll come, right?"

"Sure I will. Now, I know you have to have a list a mile long, so what do you want for Christmas?" Parker thought for a minute and leaned in toward Max. The old man tilted his head to hear what Parker wanted to say.

"Bones said that you can make wishes come true." Max glanced over at his daughter before turning back to the little boy on his knee.

"She did, did she?"

"Yeah, so I'm gonna tell you something that I've only told my mom."

"Oh really? Is it super secret?"

"I want a baby sister for Christmas. I told my mom and she said that she wasn't going to be able to give me what I want and maybe I should tell my dad, but you have to be living with someone to get a baby sister and daddy doesn't live with anyone." Max looked at Parker and wanted to laugh at the serious tone to the little boy's voice, but just couldn't do that. He glanced up again at his daughter before he spoke to Parker.

"So you want a little sister, someone a bit younger than you perhaps?"

"Nuh-uh. I want a baby sister. I know I can't get one on Christmas, but maybe I can get one soon."

"Parks, that's quite a tall order to fill. I think I could manage a younger sister, but a baby?"

"If you can get people homes like Kris Kringle did in that movie, then you can get me a baby sister." Max looked at Parker and wasn't sure what to say to that. There was no way he could finagle that one. Finally he smiled at the kid and patted him on the leg.

"I'll see what I can do kiddo." Parker smiled and jumped off Max's lap. The old man waved to Brennan and Booth as Parker reached them and turned his attention to the next child in line. How in the world would he be able to get Parker a baby sister? That was asking a little too much from Santa Claus.

XxXxX

"Well good evening," Sylvia greeted the small group on her doorstep. She stepped aside to let in Brennan, Booth, Max and Parker along with the full bags of presents in their hands. "And who's this handsome young man?"

"This is my son, Parker," Booth answered with a smile. He placed his hand on his son's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Parker, this is Sylvia Preston. She takes care of children until they can find families."

"It's nice to meet you Miss Preston," the little boy said and held out his hand. Sylvia grinned as she shook the proffered hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Parker." She looked up at the three adults. "Now, what can I do for the three of you?"

"We just came to drop off all of the gifts for your kids before heading to dinner." Sylvia looked at the number of bags and tears welled up in her eyes.

"You didn't have to go to this extent, it's too much."

"Well, 'tis the season for giving," Max said with a shrug. He glanced in to the other room and smiled when he spotted Norah Grace. The little girl brightened when she saw them and came running over.

"I don't know that very many people would do even this for these kids. It means so much to know that you care enough to help them."

"It's our pleasure, really," Brennan responded and looked to the doorway as Norah finally reached the group.

"Miss Temperance, you're here!" The little girl enveloped her in a hug, surprising the group. When she let go, she turned and smiled up at Max and Booth. "And you're here too! Did you come to see me?"

"Well we couldn't very well stop by without saying hello," Max said as he ruffled the young girl's hair. She giggled and practically bounced with excitement. "We came to drop off some presents, but you have to wait until Christmas to open them."

"Did you get me what I asked for?" Booth glanced at Max, wondering how he was going to answer the question. Their eyes met for one moment before the ex-con turned his attention back to Norah. "You'll have to wait and see. That's how it works after all." She nodded, but never lost the smile on her face.

"We have to get going, but it was nice to see you again," Brennan said to Sylvia and Norah. The little girl hugged Temperance again, taking her hand briefly. Temperance smiled at the young girl and ruffled her auburn curls.

"I understand, and thank you again for everything you're doing for these kids." Sylvia and Norah waved as the group left. They watched until they were in the car and out of the driveway. Norah turned to look up at her caretaker.

"Miss Sylvia, I just know that Santa's gonna get me that family. Then I'll have a mommy, a daddy, and a little brother."

XxXxX

"You've been awfully quiet this evening," Booth said to Brennan as he walked her up to her apartment. Parker was asleep in his arms, and Max had left for his apartment after they ate. Temperance paused when they reached her door and let out a sigh.

"I know, but I've just been thinking over something and wanted to come to a decision."

"It must be a pretty big decision to have you thinking so hard about it. You usually make up your mind pretty quick."

"I know, and it is a big decision, but I'm just trying to do what you told me to do about putting my heart into overdrive."

"Oh? And what did you conclude?"

"Do you know anyone at Social Services, someone you trust?" Booth eyed Brennan for a moment and shifted his son's weight.

"I know a few people down there. Why?"

"Because I want to adopt Norah, and I want the process complete by Christmas." Booth stood there, stunned for a moment. He should have figured that she'd make that decision. When her heart was engaged, it was much more reckless than any of her brain based decision. With a sigh, Booth nodded.

"Okay. I'll get you the number of someone I trust tomorrow." Brennan smiled, joy radiating off of her as she kissed him goodnight and stepped into her apartment. Please don't let anything go wrong, Booth thought as he headed back to the elevator.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ah, Dr. Brennan, please have a seat," Teresa Miller indicated the chair opposite her for Temperance to sit in. "Agent Booth told me to expect you. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I've had some contact with a young girl in the foster system named Norah Taylor. I feel that we have a connection and am interested in adopting her." Brennan fidgeted in her seat as the social worker turned to her computer to input some information.

"Ah yes, Norah. She's a very special case, and one of the few actual orphans in the area. She has certain needs that must be met in order to be placed correctly."

"I'm assuming one of those areas has to do with her intelligence quotient? I noticed that she's incredibly smart for her age, and I can assure you that I would be able to help provide the correct level of education for her." Teresa smiled at Brennan and entered in a bit more information into the computer.

"That is part of the concern, yes. We like to make sure that all of our children are put in the best possible environment. I have a few forms that I need you to fill out, and then I'll get back to you on the whole process of adoption. We of course have to do a background check and once that is taken care of, we'll be able to approve or disapprove your request." Brennan winced at the words 'background check'. She squirmed in her seat for a moment and turned her attention back to Teresa.

"Can I make a request that if you have any questions or concerns about anything that you please talk to Agent Booth?"

"Is there anything on your record that should concern us?"

"No, but there could be some misunderstandings if questions aren't asked. I work with the FBI on cases, and in the due course of an investigation have had to protect myself. The first of those moments of self defense was reported, but I assure you that I am perfectly capable of raising a child."

"Are you married Dr. Brennan?"

"No, I'm not, but that isn't a requirement for adoption. I have a very good job that pays well. I can provide the best possible education for her, and my brother has two daughters around her age, as well as my partner's son."

"Hmmm, well it does sound like you're qualified, and I see that you're already a registered foster parent?"

"Yes. My brother asked me to register so that if anything happened to his girls they would have someone to take care of him. I don't think he wants them to go through the system the way that I did."

"Ah. You were in foster care at one point?"

"Yes. My parents disappeared when I was fifteen, and I was in the system for two years. I know what it's like to be in Norah's situation."

"Well Dr. Brennan, that will certainly be a determining factor with our decision. Just fill out that paperwork and I'll go ahead and process everything. We should have an answer for you in the next couple of days." Teresa shook Brennan's hand and turned back to her own work as Brennan filled out the forms and left the office.

XxXxX

"Bones, what did you need help with," Booth asked as he poked his head into her guest room that evening. She was wearing overalls and an old tee-shirt with a bandana covering her hair. He smiled at the sight of her, looking like a little girl as she sat amongst several pieces of metal and wood.

"I bought a bed to go in here that was more appropriate for a child Norah's age and I'm having some trouble putting it together. I thought maybe you could help? I've already ordered some food, so you don't have to worry about that…"

"Don't you think you're jumping the gun just a little bit? I mean nothing's been approved yet."

"Booth, I don't expect you to understand, but you don't know how important environment is for a foster child. I want her to know that this is her space, and it was made for her. Even though you have a bed or a room with a foster parent, it's never really your space and you know it. I want her to know that this room was decorated for her." She looked up at Booth fiercely, expecting him to counter what she said. He just looked at her for a minute and shrugged.

"Okay. Did you want me to put the bed together?"

"Yes please. I can take care of the crib, but it would help tremendously if you can make sense of these directions." Booth glanced around the room in surprise.

"You kept Andy's crib? Why?" Brennan looked faintly embarrassed.

"I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it. Besides, I know that Amy and Russ are planning to have a child together, so I thought that if they ever stayed here with me that the baby would have a place to sleep." Booth grinned at her as he sat down next to her.

"I'm sure that's the only reason. Admit it Bones, taking care of Andy is part of the reason you made the decision to adopt a child." Brennan's cheeks colored a bit under his gaze.

"That might have had something to do with it. I'll admit that being a caregiver isn't as bad as I once thought it was. I've seen you with Parker enough to realize that there are benefits to raising a child."

"Yeah? You think I'm a good parent?" Booth pulled the instructions over and began to look over the little drawings. "Sheesh, where did you buy this bed, at IKEA?"

"I wanted to get that bed with the butterfly design that we saw the other night, but when I inquired in the store, they said it was back ordered until February, so I sent an intern out to find something that a little girl might like and this is what they bought."

"Could it have come with any more pieces?" Booth shook his head and looked over the jumble of pieces. Brennan shrugged and stood to disassemble the crib.

"I suppose it could have, although I don't exactly know how that would be practical."

"It was a rhetorical question Bones." Booth shook his head and began to sort the pieces to build the white daybed. He glanced once over his shoulder at Brennan and turned his attention back to the pieces of material in front of him. As he worked, his thoughts kept wandering to Norah. He sincerely hoped that everything would work out with the adoption. When Temperance's heart was engaged, it was much worse if she crashed and burned than if she kept everything compartmentalized.

The pair worked in companionable silence for a while as Booth fought with the pieces for the bed and Brennan laid out plastic to paint the walls. He was surprised to see she chose pink for the wall color.

"Hey Bones, what's with the pink?"

"Studies have shown that the color pink is the most soothing shade to children, followed by light green. I'd like Norah to have a comfortable environment so I think the color is appropriate."

"Huh, I just didn't think you'd ever choose pink is all." He went back to his work, poking up occasionally to watch Brennan as she carefully painted around the line of the ceiling. Of course she'd be just as meticulous with paint as she was with everything else.

The doorbell rang, and Brennan turned to answer it. Booth waved her back to her task and got up, his joints popping. He answered the door and paid the delivery boy just as Max rounded the corner of the hallway.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" Max eyed the boxes of food the agent was holding.

"Bones wanted me to help her with something. What about you?"

"She wants me to rewire a light. I do still have my electrician's license." Booth motioned with his head and Max followed the agent inside. While Booth set up things in the kitchen, Max headed back to the guest bedroom and whistled as he took a look around. Brennan stopped painting and turned to her father.

"So, what do you think?"

"I think it looks great honey. Any little girl would love a room like this."

"You think so?"

"Of course." Brennan climbed down her ladder and set down her paint supplies, following her father out of the room to grab a bite to eat. "Hey, do you remember when you were five and you colored all over the walls to your room with your crayons?"

"Yes, I do actually," Brennan laughed and shook her head a bit. "I didn't like the color of the walls and thought I'd change it myself."

"Why does it not surprise me that you'd do something like that," Booth said and handed her a plate of food and pulled out her chair.

"It seemed quite logical to me. After all how else was I supposed to get the color changed?"

"I don't know Bones. Most normal kids would have just asked their parents to paint their rooms."

"I just felt that I could take care of it on my own."

"You handle something on your own? Perish the thought." Booth grinned and moved just out of reach when she tried to smack him on the arm. Max just watched the scene in front of him, grinning. This was what he wanted for his daughter. He wanted her to have the family he'd managed to deprive her of all those years ago. Now Booth was here for her and by the look of it his daughter had never been happier. He took a sip of his beer as he continued to watch the couple bicker. Anyone who thought that she was cold or too analytical never saw this side of her, and now that giving personality was going to be rewarded. She'd have the family she deserved to have.

XxXxX

"Wow Bren, you look happy this morning. What's got you so cheerful," Angela asked as she walked into Brennan's office a few days later. Brennan looked up and smiled at her best friend.

"Today I'll get approval to adopt a child." Angela stared at her friend, jaw dropped and completely speechless. Brennan leaned back a bit in her chair and looked at her best friend. "What?"

"I just…when did you make that decision? Why didn't you say anything to me about it? You've never been one to just make rash decisions without talking about it first."

"Ange, it's not a rash decision. I've thought through all of the implications and have all of the arrangements lined up in case I need to work late or have to go out of state for any reason."

"What if the adoption doesn't go through?" Brennan looked at her computer screen for a minute and then turned back to Angela.

"There's no reason for it to not go through. I have a steady job that pays well. I can provide a good education, and there are children around that are her age, so she'll still be able to socialize with peers."

"Sweetie, I know that, but sometimes things don't work out that way. I mean you aren't married…"

"Being married has no bearing on whether or not I can adopt. There are single people adopting all the time, so that shouldn't be a reason for them to turn down my request." Angela sighed and offered her friend a hug.

"I really hope everything works out for you Bren. You'd make a great parent and adoption is a really noble thing to do."

"Thanks Angela." Brennan smiled again as her best friend left the office and then turned back to her work. She found her concentration lagging as the day went by, her mind preoccupied with the adoption. After a few hours, she decided it just wasn't worth the effort of forcing herself to concentrate and shut off her computer.

On her way from the lab, she stopped by to let Cam know she was leaving early, and headed out onto the grounds of the museum. The night before it snowed and the grounds were blanketed in white. Small icicles hung on the eaves of buildings and the sky was a clear blue.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around herself to stave off the crisp air. She practically willed her phone to ring with news on the adoption, and the waiting was killing her. When the phone did ring, she fumbled with it for a moment before bringing it to her ear.

"Brennan."

"Ah Dr. Brennan, this is Teresa Miller from social services. I was hoping to get a hold of you. We've reviewed your paperwork and agree that you're an excellent candidate for adoption."

"That's wonderful news. When will I be able to sign the papers for Norah?"

"Well, that's the reason I'm calling. Norah has been adopted by another family." Brennan sucked a breath and put her hand out on a tree to steady her suddenly weak knees.

"What?"

"I'm sorry Dr. Brennan, but our agency felt she would be better placed with a nuclear family, and that is one aspect that you just weren't able to provide. I'm truly sorry for the news." Brennan nodded, finding her voice eluded her as she flipped her cell phone shut.


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: I know I disappointed the heck out of you all in the last chapter, so I hope you're looking forward to how I'm going to fix what I did to Brennan. This chapter begins to explain it, but I have to leave you wanting more, right? Oh, and here's a little game for you all. I have another penname on this website, and only a couple of people know what it is, so we're going to play a little game. Let me know who you think I am and I'll let you know if you're right. By the end of this story I'll announce what my other penname is and we'll see how many of you are right. The only thing that I will say is that I've been on this site and writing since May of 2006. Take your best guess and I hope you enjoy this chapter._

Booth stood outside Brennan's apartment with a bouquet of flowers and a couple of balloons as he waited for the door to be answered. As it swung open, he smiled at Temperance.

"Congratulations momma. When do you…Bones what's the matter?" He noticed the tear stains on her cheeks and the comfort clothes she had on. His stomach dropped and he pulled her into his arms, the flowers crunching up against her back. "The adoption didn't go through?" She shook her head against his chest, new tears wetting his shirt. Booth kissed her hair and held her until she was able to pull herself together. "What happened?"

"She was placed with a family. Teresa said her interests would be better served with a nuclear family." She wiped her eyes and pulled away from Booth to head to her couch. Booth followed her into the apartment and shut the door behind them.

"So you weren't allowed to adopt because you're not married? What a load of crap." As he sat next to her, he pulled her into his lap and held her against him. She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Logically I can understand their concern that she's better placed in a home with two parents…"

"You're allowed to hurt Bones. Don't close yourself off because this didn't work out. If you really want to adopt a child, don't give up on it."

"Maybe I'm just not supposed to have this. I mean first I wanted to adopt Ripley, and now I'm not suitable enough to adopt Norah." Booth's heart squeezed at her words.

"Hey, you're one of the most suitable people I know to be a parent. I'm sorry that you weren't able to adopt Norah, but don't you think for one moment that you're not meant to do this." Brennan nodded and melted further into Booth's comforting embrace. He ran his hands over her hair, dropping kisses onto her forehead occasionally. Neither spoke, and it wasn't long before Temperance's breathing deepened into sleep. Booth slowly maneuvered off of the couch and carried Brennan to her bedroom. It took some work, but he finally got her under the covers and tucked into bed. She rolled over in her sleep and sighed, reaching for him. After a moment of hesitation, Booth kicked off his shoes and climbed in next to her, pulling her to his side.

Booth closed his eyes, breathing in her scent as she slept, noticing the small worry wrinkle still in place between her brows. He let out a breath and pulled her tighter into his body. It wasn't fair to Temperance that she wasn't able to adopt Norah. He knew she felt a real connection to that little girl, much like she had with Ripley. A small wave of guilt washed over Booth as he thought about the Shepard that Brennan had developed an attachment to. He'd been doing his job and following the law when he'd ordered the dog put down. If only he'd known how much Brennan cared for that dog… Now she had her all too caring heart broken again. Please, he thought, please let her have the family she wants.

XxXxX

"Have a good night Max," Sam the security guard called out as the elder Brennan left the museum for the night. Max pulled his coat tight around him and shoved his hands into his pockets to stave off the cold. With just four days until Christmas, the air was crisp making his breath mist with each exhale. So far it seemed that everything was in order for Christmas wishes. Booth and Temperance were together and she was waiting on word about adopting Norah. He smiled as he thought about the little girl, and how enthusiastic she was about life.

Temperance was just like that as a little girl, so curious and interested in the world at large. A smile spread across his face as he watched a family walking down the street. His daughter deserved to have that relationship. She'd be such a good mother. Everything proved it from her interest and concern in Haley and Emma to her interactions with Parker. Now there was a smart little boy. Booth had done a wonderful job raising the curious little boy.

Max snorted as he thought about Parker's Christmas wish. So he wanted a baby sister, huh? Well that was definitely something he couldn't help with. That right there was entirely up to either Booth or Parker's mother. Max shook his head and turned his attention back to the family that walked along. The mom and dad were walking at a leisurely pace, holding the hands of a little girl, while their boy ran ahead and came back toward them excitedly. He'd point out things and run ahead again.

That was how he'd been picturing his daughter recently. She and Booth finally had the relationship they should have been in years ago, and he of course had Parker. Now Norah would complete the picture of the ideal family… Max frowned and looked back at the happy family. He focused his attention onto the little girl and his heart squeezed in his chest. No, he thought. Norah was supposed to end up with his daughter. He hurried along, needing to catch a cab to Temperance's house. If he knew her as well as he thought he did, then she'd need a shoulder to lean on right now.

XxXxX

Booth woke up to the sound of a handle jiggling in the other room. He rubbed a hand down his face and pulled out of Temperance's embrace to see what was going on. As he reached the living room, the door opened and Max came into the apartment. The elder man took in Booth's rumpled appearance and gave him a wry smile.

"I suppose now's not the time to have the talk about your intentions with my daughter."

"No Max, it's not." Booth motioned to the couch as he headed to the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Suit yourself then," Booth said and grabbed a beer for himself before joining Max in the living room.

"What happened? Why didn't she adopt Norah?" Booth took a swig of beer and sat heavily on the couch.

"The agency gave her to a family. They felt her interests would be better served that way. Personally I think it's a load of crap."

"How's she holding up?"

"I'm not sure yet. I've seen Bones shut down when she's had to deal with major disappointments." Booth looked pointedly at Max Keenan. "She bottles things up and I'm worried that she's going to crack under pressure. When she wakes up I'll have a better gauge of the situation." Neither man said anything as they sat there while Booth occasionally took swigs of his beer.

"You're a good man Booth." Booth looked at Max, an eyebrow raised as he waited for an elaboration on the comment. "You take care of my daughter, and have even when you weren't together. I don't know that there are too many men that would do that."

"She's my family," he answered with a shrug. "I'd do anything for her or Parker."

"You keep taking care of her. She needs you, you know. I know that she's independent and thinks that she can get on by herself, but you let her shine."

"No, she shines on her own. There's this moment that happens with her when she just transforms. It's like Temperance comes out and the scientist is pushed to the background, and whenever it happens, it's breathtaking." Booth smiled as he thought of the look of absolute joy that would overcome her features when she was carefree. His heart clenched as he thought of the last moment he'd seen that expression on her face. She'd had it there when she was decorating her guest room, turning it into a room any little girl would love to have.

He knew that getting Norah for her was out of the question. The little girl was adopted out to a family and it would cause her unnecessary grief to pull her from her new environment regardless of how happy a life with Temperance could be.

"I wondered where you went." Booth shook himself from his reverie and glanced over his shoulder to smile at Temperance. She rubbed her eyes as she approached the couch and kissed him on the lips before squeezing in between her father and him.

"You didn't think I'd leave you, did you?" She shook her head and leaned into him smiling a bit when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"No, I know you won't leave me." Brennan looked from Booth to her father. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"I found out about what happened and wanted to make sure you're okay." Temperance sighed and pulled in closer to Booth.

"I'll admit that it hurts. I thought that Norah and I had a connection, but I know what it's like to be in a good home after losing your family and I'm happy that she's in a place where she'll be loved. I just wish it had been with me."

"I'm sure it'll happen if it's meant to," Max said and gave his daughter's hand a squeeze. Brennan glanced from her father to Booth.

"Even if it doesn't, I still have Russ's girls and Parker around. I might not have the benefit of having a child myself, but that didn't really matter before. I still can interact with them in a familial environment." Booth's heart soared at some of her words.

"You think of my son as family?"

"Of course I do Booth. If he's calling my dad 'Grandpa' then I can hardly think of him as just my partner's son. You're in my life, and by default so is Parker. He's a smart child and he's wonderful to be around." She smiled at the huge grin spreading over Booth's face.

"Grandpa Max huh? Kids say the funniest things." Max grinned when Booth rolled his eyes.

"As if you didn't instigate that one. Parks told me you let him call you that."

"It's close enough to the truth anyway." Brennan rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she heard her cell phone go off. She got off the couch to answer it, and as she did so, Max looked back at Booth. "You know he asked me for a baby sister for Christmas."

"Please tell me you didn't promise him anything," Booth groaned, but let the thought of having a child with Temperance run through his head momentarily. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind just as quickly. That was not an issue he would push and anyway, they were in too new a position to even consider having a child. No, that was something that needed time.

"I told him that would be up to either you or his mother, although I've found that if a child asks for a baby brother or sister, it's a way to ensure they'll get a puppy instead." Both men laughed and Booth glanced over his shoulder to look at Brennan as she talked on the phone. She had an odd closed off kind of expression on her face, almost as if she was trying to hold back hope.

"…yes I can be at your office in about fifteen minutes. I'll see you then." Temperance hung up the phone and looked at Booth and her father. "I need to leave for a bit. If you want to stay here, that's fine, but I'm not sure how long I'll be gone."

"Where are you going honey," Max asked as Brennan set down her phone and headed back toward her bedroom. She paused in the doorway and looked back at the two men.

"That was Teresa Miller. She needs to see me at social services as soon as possible." Brennan stepped into her room and shut the door behind her. Booth and Max looked at the closed door and then at each other.

"You don't think…" Max began and Booth shook his head.

"No, but I'll tell you one thing, she's crazy if she thinks that I'm going to just sit here and wait for her to get back."


	9. Chapter 9

_AN: Aw come on guys, only one person hedged a guess as to who I am. I want to know what you think. Honestly. I'll give you another hint. I've introduced Chaos theory into a series of stories I'm writing. Let me know who you think I am. With that, I just want to say sorry if this chapter puts anyone in a diabetic coma, but this is supposed to be a fluffy story. And also thanks to K. Elisabeth for input and for the idea of the nickname. You rock._

"Thank you for showing up so quickly Dr. Brennan," Teresa Miller said as she indicated a seat across from her. Brennan sat down as the social worker pulled up a file on her computer.

"You said it was an emergency on the phone."

"Yes. Earlier today, an infant was safely relinquished to a hospital in Maryland. Since you've had some experience fostering an infant, I feel that you'd be an ideal candidate with which to place the child."

"How old is the infant?" Teresa looked over the information in her computer.

"Three days old." Brennan looked somewhat hesitant to take care of a child that young. Wanting to adopt a five year old was one thing, but fostering a newborn? She didn't know the first thing about taking care of a child that young.

"What makes me more suitable for a newborn as opposed to an older child?"

"Dr. Brennan, I know it can sometimes be difficult to accept a decision like the one made about Norah, but you've got to remember that she needs as stable an environment as possible. You however have fostered an infant before and understand what the needs of a baby are. We don't have anywhere to place this child until after the first of the year, so I'm hoping you'll agree to foster."

"And what happens after the first of the year? Will the child be placed elsewhere?"

"This baby was relinquished to a safe haven. So long as the parent doesn't show up to reclaim the child in the next three days, then she'll be up for adoption. If you feel that you still want to adopt a child at that time, then you'd be the first consideration since you would already be caring for the child." Brennan shifted in her seat and glanced out through the glass door of Teresa's office. Booth and her father sat there, waiting for her and chatting with each other. They would both be there to help her, she knew, but what if the child were reclaimed?

From outside the door, Booth looked up and caught her eye. His gaze was so warm and understanding. If the child were reclaimed then he would be there to pick up the pieces. If not, then he'd be there to help her raise a baby. She had someone to turn to when she had questions. Slowly she turned back to Teresa Miller and smiled.

"What do I have to do?"

"I knew I could count on you Dr. Brennan. I just have some papers for you to sign and I'll give you a list of items you'll need for the child. Someone will be by this evening to drop off the baby, and if you have any questions, please give me a call."

XxXxX

"What do you think is going on in there," Max asked when he noticed the shift in body language displayed by Temperance. Booth watched her and smiled as she stood and shook hands with the social worker.

"I think she just got some good news," Booth smiled at her as she came out of the office. "So, what's the word?"

"I'm going to foster a newborn." She grinned and bounced a bit on the balls of her feet. Max looked slightly stunned, but Booth's smile widened into a full blown grin.

"So you're gonna be a momma after all?"

"She gave me this list of supplies I'll need along with some information on caring for a newborn." Brennan waved the list at Booth, who snatched it away from her to look it over. "The baby will be dropped off at my apartment in a couple of hours, but I'm not sure what's open at this hour."

"That's what Wal-Mart's for Bones. They're open twenty four hours. Come on; let's go get you some gear." Booth slung his arm around her and gave her a half hug as he looked over the list. They would need most of the items here, except for the crib. That just had to be rebuilt.

"Honey, that's great! A baby?" Max finally responded to the news. Brennan practically beamed as they headed from the building and out to Booth's SUV. "Do you have any experience around them?"

"You should have seen her when she fostered a child during one of our cases Max. She's a natural," Booth said, obviously proud of his partner. He winked at her as they drove away and to the nearest Wal-Mart. Booth knew that Temperance generally wouldn't shop at one. It had something to do with commercialization and out competing smaller local business, but there wasn't anything else open at ten o'clock at night. Plus it would allow her to do the shopping herself as opposed to sending out an intern like she'd done with Andy.

A grin spread over the agent's face at that thought. Heck, shopping for baby stuff was half the fun when he and Rebecca were expecting Parker. Of course he'd never admit that to anyone. It just wasn't right for a man to enjoy shopping. He shook himself out of his thoughts and parked when they arrived at the superstore and led Brennan inside with Max in tow.

"Okay, let's grab a cart and get to it," he said as Brennan looked over the list of essentials with a frown on her face. She glanced at Booth and pointed to the list.

"What's a sleep sack?" Booth smiled and led her to the baby department as Max hung back, looking at things at his own pace.

"It's a type of sleepwear that looks like a sack. Oh and word to the wise…you want to get baby gowns rather than footies. It makes changing diapers that much easier." Brennan looked at him, confused. She was way in over her head and had no idea what a footie was. With a sigh she looked over the huge selection of items for little girls.

"See, this is why I tasked out shopping for Andy. I have no idea what to get." Booth bumped her shoulder with his own.

"See? That's why you have me here. Now come on, we have a lot of stuff to get." They began the process of filling the cart with all manner of items. Several times Booth had to stifle a laugh as Brennan debated the merits of one brand over another, and rolled his eyes when she finally settled on organic soy formula. His argument that the baby wouldn't know the difference only earned him another lecture on the benefit of organic products on human health.

When they finally had all of their shopping done, Booth and Brennan met back up with Max, who seemed to have done some shopping of his own. Booth eyed the bag that the ex-con had, but didn't say anything as they loaded up everything into the SUV. No one spoke on the return trip to Brennan's apartment, and once they got there began to set up everything for the baby.

"Bones, would you stop it," Booth said as he rebuilt the crib. Temperance stopped her reflexive straightening and turned to look at him.

"I just want to make sure that everything's perfect."

"It's fine. This kid is going to be spoiled, okay? You did good." She smiled at him and sat down next to him as he screwed together the sides of the white crib. She began to fiddle with one of the new baby blankets still waiting to be washed as Booth work.

"You don't think that she'll be reclaimed do you?" Booth glanced at Brennan and noticed the smile was gone from her features.

"When babies are turned into safe havens, it's because their parent or guardian can't take care of them, or for whatever reason doesn't want them. Very rarely are they reclaimed by the parent."

"How could someone just give up their child? I understand if the parent dies or if the child is removed because of unsafe circumstances…"

"Bones, these babies are turned over so that they have a chance at a good life. A lot of times the people who relinquish their infants are teenage girls who hid their pregnancies, or women who can't support another child on their own. They're giving these children the opportunity to have a good life with someone like you." He set down the screwdriver and pulled Brennan into his lap. He sought out her lips and kissed her, offering her just a bit of comfort and reassurance. She melted into his embrace until there was a knock on the front door.

"They're here," she said and bounded off of his lap, racing for the front door. Booth got up off of the floor and followed her into the other room just as she was opening the door. Teresa stood there with a baby carrier in hand.

"Good evening Dr. Brennan. Were you able to pick up the items needed?"

"Yes, we just got back not long ago." Temperance moved to the side to allow Teresa in the apartment. The anthropologist looked like an eager puppy, barely holding back her interest in the tiny bundle inside of the carrier.

"I'm glad to hear that. We just need to go over a few more details and then she's all yours." The social worker set the carrier on the floor next to the couch as she sat down. Booth and Max watched from the hallway as Temperance clenched her hands shut, trying not to reach for the baby.

"I don't think I've ever seen her this excited," Max whispered. Booth just smiled warmly as he took in the scene.

"You should have seen her with Andy, the baby she fostered for a short time. I was coming out of this trailer and there's Bones over by the truck blowing raspberries onto his belly." He shook his head thinking back to how attached the baby boy was to Temperance. "She'll do good."

He and Max turned their attention back as Teresa took the baby from the carrier and handed her to Brennan before taking a tour of the apartment. As the social worker moved about the apartment to make sure that everything was in order, Booth and Max joined Brennan by the couch. She was looking at the tiny bundle in her arms with a measure of awe.

"I didn't expect her to be so small. I mean logically I know that a newborn would have to be small enough to pass through the birth canal, but she's so little." The baby yawned and snuggled down into Brennan's arms, eliciting a smile from the anthropologist.

"So what are you going to call her," Booth asked as he looked down at the little girl. She had a shock of black hair that stood straight up from her head in all directions and her little ears stuck straight out to the sides. His heart was lost instantly.

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

"How about Carol?" Brennan wrinkled up her nose at the suggestion.

"Why on earth would you pick that name?"

"Well think about it Bones, you have your own little Christmas Carol."

"Booth…"

"Okay fine, then she can be Carol of the Bones." Max snorted and Brennan rolled her eyes before snuggling the little girl closer to her. Teresa came back to the living room and smiled at the three as they admired the little girl.

"Everything looks to be in order. I'll give you a call on Christmas Eve in regards to her status with you." At Brennan's worried look, she patted her arm gently. "Don't worry; I'm sure that everything will go fine. Until then."

"Thank you so much Teresa."

"My pleasure Dr. Brennan." Max showed the social worker to the door as Brennan sat on the couch with Booth.

"Seriously Bones, you need to call her something." Brennan glanced up at Booth just as the baby started to fuss.

"I'm not going to just call her something in order to satisfy your curiosity. I want to see what she's like first and find something that suits her." Brennan brought the little baby to her shoulder and patted her back a bit awkwardly. The baby fussed a bit more and Booth held out his hands for her. Brennan hesitated for just a moment and relinquished the baby.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay. Momma Bones is going to make you a yummy bottle of formula so you can eat. Yes she is." Booth glanced at Brennan as she made a grumpy face at him.

"You just did that so I'd have to make the bottle." Booth grinned a bit as he rubbed soothing circles on the baby's back.

"I'm not the one who needs practice." He looked back at the baby. "No, I'm not." The baby blinked up at him as he continued to coo. Brennan shook her head and headed to the kitchen to make a bottle.

"You know Booth, it's kind of refreshing to see the way that you defy socially constructed gender roles when it comes to child rearing." Both Max and Booth looked at her, confusion etched on their faces.

"What?"

"I mean generally males have very little to do with the rearing of children and the role falls upon females to provide care and comfort." She fumbled with the can of formula as she grabbed a bottle. Booth snorted and looked back at the baby.

"You tell your momma Bones that single fathers do what they have to do. You tell her, yes." Temperance sighed in annoyance and finished with the formula as she headed back to the living room. As she approached, Booth made room for her on the couch so she could sit, while Max perched by the edge of a counter as he watched the scene play out. It warmed his heart to see his daughter so happy.

As Brennan sat down, Booth very gently handed the baby over to her. "Okay Bones, feeding this little one isn't like feeding Andy. You want to cradle her you're your body and maintain eye contact while you feed her." He watched as Brennan adjusted her grip on the baby and began to feed her with the bottle.

"Look at that honey, you're a natural," Max said, watching as she couldn't keep her eyes off of the little girl. Merry Christmas baby, he thought, praying that nothing would happen to ruin the happy scene before him.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey Bones, wakey wakey. We've got to get you to work." Brennan sat up, bleary eyed and gave Booth her best death glare. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and glanced at the clock.

"Booth, I've only been asleep for two hours. Why do I have to get up?" Booth smiled down at her before flopping on the bed at her side. He pulled her to him, despite her best attempts to fend him off and hide under the covers.

"Because you need to fill out some paperwork for family leave so you have time to bond with that little angel in the other room." He kissed her on the lips, rolling over her slightly when she wrapped her arms around him to deepen it.

"Honey, where did you put the…oh." Max paused in the open doorway of Brennan's room and averted his eyes. Booth pulled away from Brennan and got off the bed.

"I just came in to wake her up," Booth mumbled, feeling for some reason like a teenager being caught by his parents.

"I can see that. I was just wondering where you put the baby wipes. Peanut needs changing and I didn't want to wake you up."

"Peanut?" Brennan rolled her eyes as she pulled back the covers and got out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"You need the sleep. Trust me; I remember what it was like with a new baby in the house. Besides, there's nothing that either Booth or I can't handle."

The party made their way out of the room and toward the family room with Brennan making a pit stop for baby wipes. The baby was in an automated swing, staring up at the mobile hanging above her head.

"Hey there sweetheart," Brennan murmured and picked up the little girl. She fussed until she was cleaned up and powdered, and then snuggled into Brennan's arms. Booth made his way into the kitchen to fetch Temperance a cup of coffee and a bagel while Max set about getting the stroller and car seat ready.

"Bones, you really need to figure out a name for her. Terms of endearment aside, she'll get confused if we don't have something to call her." He set her cup down on the coffee table and took the baby from her so she could drink the beverage.

"Carol is definitely out. I don't like the name."

"Well then what about Holly?" Brennan hmmed for a moment and shook her head.

"No, it doesn't sound right, and what's with the holiday name picking? First you want Carol, and now Holly?"

"Tis the season." Brennan rolled her eyes and took another sip of the coffee. Max brought over everything and checked the diaper bag for all of the supplies Temperance would need.

"What about Joy," he suggested.

"Dad, I'm not giving her my birth name. I'll think of something."

"Okay honey. Why don't you go get ready and we'll take care of the baby. Booth can go to the lab with you and I can get to work." Brennan frowned for a moment.

"You have to go to work today?"

"Of course I do. Santa doesn't get a day off after all." Max smiled at her and took the coffee cup when she was done drinking.

"You're sure you're okay with her?" Booth looked up at her and nodded.

"Yes. Now go get dressed." He made a shooing motion and watched her as she headed down the hall and to her bedroom. Once she shut the door behind her, Max turned his attention on Booth and the baby.

"You don't think anyone will try to take Peanut away do you?" Booth looked at the ex-con and shook his head.

"I think everything will be fine. Teresa's a good woman. If there's a dispute, she's not going to take this little one from Bones if she feels this is the best environment for her."

"How exactly do you know Teresa?"

"Bones and I had a case a few years ago where a little boy was found dead. His mother fostered two other children, and when it looked like one of them was guilty of killing the little boy they were taken from her. Temperance promised the boys that they'd be able to stay together and that their foster mother Margaret would get them back."

"That's a tall order to fill."

"Yeah, it was. I went to Teresa because she'd dealt with the FBI previously and she was able to make it happen. I didn't have to do it, but I didn't want to make a liar out of Bones." Max looked at Booth for a long moment, watching the way he interacted with the baby in his arms.

"How long exactly have you been in love with my daughter?"

"What?"

"Look Booth, I know I have a long way to go before I could be considered father of the year, but that doesn't mean I don't care about my daughter. I've seen the way you look at her, how you protect her. I just want to know how long you've felt this way about her." The two men looked at each other as Booth slowly rocked the baby in his arms.

"I'm not sure. There was no moment when I realized that she meant the world to me. It just sort of crept up on me," he shrugged. Max pursed his lips and nodded at the answer. It was about as good an answer as he could get really.

"Okay, I can accept that." Max clapped the younger man on the shoulder being careful to avoid the baby. He stood and pulled over the stroller and car seat combination. As he detached the seat from the stroller, Booth carefully turned the little girl so that she was in his lap and facing him.

"This is a car seat. I know you rode over here in one last night, but this one is special. It's a top of the line travel combination that came with a car seat, stroller, play pen and travel sleeper, oh-oh-oh." At the sound of a snort, Booth turned to see Brennan leaning against the doorway with a smirk on her face. Even though he could tell she was exhausted, and simply threw on her sweater and jeans, she still looked gorgeous to him.

"Okay Tim the toolman Taylor, just don't try to add anything to it." Booth laughed as he strapped in the baby.

"Bones, the big difference between me and the toolman is that I really do know what I'm doing. Now grab her diaper bag and let's get this show on the road.

XxXxX

Max sat in his gold throne, preparing to read a Christmas story to a group of children when he heard a familiar voice calling out "Santa". He looked up and grinned at the little girl running toward him.

"Why Norah Grace, what are you doing here?" He got up from his seat and moved a stanchion aside so the little girl could reach him. She threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I wanted to say thank you." Max glanced from the little girl up to the man and woman standing behind her. The woman smiled down at the little girl before holding out her hand to Max. He stood and shook it, curious still as to what was going on.

"She insisted on coming to thank you for granting her Christmas wish. I'm Karen Owens, her adoptive mom."

"Ah Karen, it's nice to meet you. I had wondered what happened to Norah." Karen's husband ushered Norah away from Karen and Max to stand with his son while the two adults talked.

"We were here at the museum the other day and overheard her say that she wanted a family for Christmas. My husband Thomas and I discussed it along with our son Ryan and decided that we just couldn't allow her to not get what she wanted for Christmas."

"Well it's nice to know that Norah ended up with good people. My own daughter was interested in adopting Norah as well, but obviously you were chosen for her parents." Karen looked thoughtful for a moment and then turned her attention back onto Max.

"Is your daughter named Temperance? Norah keeps talking about a 'Miss Temperance'."

"Yeah, that would be her. She works here at the museum."

"Oh, would it be a problem for us to meet her? Norah was so sure that she was going to end up with her, but she's still glad to have us I think. She's such a smart little thing."

"I don't think it would be a problem. I know my daughter would want to know that Norah will be well taken care of. I have about half an hour before I start my story. I can take you to the forensics wing to meet her if you'd like."

"Are you sure that wouldn't be a problem? We wouldn't want to impose." Max smiled and indicated the way to the lab.

"Really, it's not a problem at all. If you all follow me, I can show you back there."

XxXxX

"Oh Bren, she's adorable," Angela cooed as she looked at the infant. The baby stared up at her, blinking. "So what's her name?"

"I think I'm going to call her Christine." Booth snorted and Brennan turned on him with a frown. "What?"

"You've thrown a fit about all of the holiday themed names and you're naming her Christine?"

"I'm giving her my mother's name."

"Yeah, and the name means 'Christ-like'. You can't get much more Christmassy than that."

"Ha ha very funny Booth." Temperance reached down and unfastened Christine from the stroller to pick her up. Angela immediately reached out to take the baby as the doors to the lab slid open.

"Hey honey, there's someone here to see you," Max called out to her. Temperance turned in time to see Norah running across the lab toward her.

"Miss Temperance!" Brennan knelt in time to catch the little girl. She gave the little girl a hug and pulled back to look at her.

"I hear you have a family now." The little girl nodded and pointed to her adoptive family.

"I got a mommy, daddy and brother in one day, can you believe that? It's the best." Brennan smiled as the family approached her. She could see the surprise and enthusiasm in Karen's face and realized immediately that the woman was a fan.

"That's wonderful." Brennan stood when the others finally joined them and held out her hand. "You must be the lucky parents."

"I'm Karen. Wow, I didn't realize when she was talking about a Miss Temperance that she meant you. This is amazing."

"Well as long as Norah's in a good home, then I'm happy for her. I know what it's like to be in her place."

"Oh, you were adopted?" Brennan shook her head and smiled down at Norah for a moment.

"No. I was in the system for a little while, so I know how important a good home is to a child."

"You really care a lot for Norah, don't you?" Karen glanced at the little girl, who was holding onto Brennan's hand and swinging it enthusiastically.

"Yes, I do."

"Well I'd be honored if you'd come visit her when you want. I'm sure she'd appreciate it too." Brennan smiled and glanced again at Norah.

"I'd like that. Thank you."

"Of course. Now, I hate to leave, but we only had time to stop by. Norah wanted to see Santa and you, but we have some other errands to run." Karen dug into her purse and pulled out a business card. "Just give me a call whenever you want to see her."

"I will," Brennan said before kneeling again to face Norah. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay Miss Temperance." The little girl threw her arms around Brennan's neck and gave her a hug before leaving with her new family. Temperance watched them leave and felt Booth place a hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently.

"You gonna be okay," he asked when she turned to him.

"I'm fine. It's nice to know that she's with a good family." She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, Angela's run off with Christine."

"So you're sticking with that huh?"

"What, you don't like the name?"

"I didn't say that. As a matter of fact, I think it suits her." Brennan smirked.

"It's better than Carol at any rate."

"Yeah, yeah. Say what you will, but I still think that Carol of the Bones was totally appropriate." Booth grinned as Temperance as she rolled her eyes and went off in search of her best friend. Nope, things couldn't get much better than this, he thought with a smile.


	11. Chapter 11

"You know Booth, at some point you're going to have to go back to your house." Brennan smiled at the sight before her. Booth lay on her couch as he watched Sports Center with Christine asleep on his chest. He was such a good father and it amazed her how his behavior translated so easily to his interactions with the baby. The FBI agent turned to look at Temperance and smiled up at her.

"I know I should but I like spending time with you and little Peanut here." Brennan rolled her eyes as she sat down on the coffee table to be closer to the pair.

"Please tell me you aren't planning to adopt that nickname Dad gave her."

"What's wrong with Peanut?" He glanced down at the sleeping baby on his chest and caressed her head. Christine shifted and settled again against him.

"Nothing I guess, I just think it's silly to adopt a nickname like that." The corner of Booth's eyes crinkled slightly as he continued to look at his partner.

"What, you mean like Bones?" Temperance reached for the baby, but Booth stopped her as he settled a hand onto her back. "Don't move her. She's comfortable."

"Then I suppose you'll want me to pick up Parker?"

"Huh?" Booth glanced at the clock on the cable box. "Shit. I didn't realize it was that late." Brennan carefully picked up the sleeping baby before Booth stood and gathered up his belongings.

"It's fine, I just don't think you'd want to keep Parker waiting." Booth nodded and headed for the door before turning around and kissing Brennan on the lips.

"If you need help with anything…"

"Booth, I'll be fine. I've had a couple of days to process what needs to be done for an infant."

"If you're sure…"

"Go. You're going to be late." Brennan kissed Booth once more and walked to the door with him. Before he left, he turned and caught her eye.

"You guys are all coming over for Christmas, aren't you?"

"Are you sure you want all of us there? I mean Russ and his family is here too…"

"Bones, my place is bigger than yours. It'll be fine. Besides, I decorate so there'll be a tree and everything," Booth said with a smile. "I had a hard time getting that tree to the prison; don't make me lug one up five flights of stairs."

"Okay, but only because I wouldn't want you to strain your back."

"Very funny. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early." With that, he was off. Temperance watched him head down the hallway before shutting her door. With a sigh, she made her way to Christine's room to put the baby down. How had her life managed to change so much in the course of two weeks? Two weeks ago, she never would have imagined that she wanted to adopt a child, let alone end up with a newborn. Now though, she wouldn't change a thing. The baby had found her way into her heart almost as soon as she laid eyes on her. Was that what all parents felt the first time they saw their child?

Instead of laying Christine in her crib, Brennan moved over to the white daybed in the room and laid down, holding the baby to her chest. She stroked back the shock of black hair on Christine's head as she continued to contemplate everything. When she and Booth became partners, she was adamantly against having children because she didn't understand how they could affect life. The world was a terrible place and you shouldn't bring a child into somewhere so evil and lonely was her thought.

She met Parker the first year of her partnership with Booth and found the child to be a very happy and intelligent person, much like his father. The more time she spent around him, the more she realized that he made life better for those around him. What was it that Booth said? I'm more grateful everyday that I had him. She shifted slightly as she pulled a comforter around her and Christine. That was how she felt about the people in her life. Her father was working so hard to earn back her trust, Booth was always there for her regardless of the situation, and now she had this brand new life to take care of, and even though it had only been a few days, she couldn't imagine not having the baby in her life.

Temperance closed her eyes, relaxing into the comfortable mattress as she thought about all of the changes in her life. Her recent change in relationship with Booth was no surprise, just overdue really. A smile graced her face as she thought back to seeing him with the baby asleep on his chest. Something about that image was just right somehow. The man was made to have children in his life. He seemed to thrive on the interactions. With those thoughts whirling through her mind, Brennan drifted off to sleep holding Christine securely to her side.

XxXxX

"Max, we can stay at a hotel. It's not like we have to stay with Temperance," Amy said as Max unlocked the door to Brennan's apartment.

"Nonsense. Temperance loves having you here, and anyway she offered to have you stay. You might need to use the air mattress though."

"Why," Russ asked and paused just as he entered the apartment. He took in all of the baby stuff lying around and turned to his dad. "Is there something you forgot to tell us? I know we haven't seen Tempe in a few months, but I think I would have noticed if she was pregnant."

"Your sister didn't have a baby." Max closed the door behind everyone and set down the suitcase he carried up for Amy.

"Then what's with all the baby stuff?"

"She's adopting," Max said with a grin. A small mewling cry sounded from the other room, drawing everyone's attention in that direction. "Hold on and I'll go get Peanut." As Max bounded toward the baby's room, Amy looked over at Russ.

"Wow, he's really excited."

"Yeah, I guess he is." Everyone looked up as Max came out carrying the small infant in his arms. Temperance followed him out and headed to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for the baby. As Russ, Amy and the girls cooed over Christine, Temperance pressed the button on her answering machine as she grabbed the formula and a clean bottle.

"Hi Dr. Brennan. This is Teresa from Social Services. I have some news for you regarding your foster child. If you could please give me a call I can update you on the adoption process." Max looked at her from the living room and motioned to the phone as he handed Christine over to Amy.

"I'll take care of that bottle. You take care of your business." Temperance nodded and grabbed her cell phone, heading back to her bedroom for a little privacy. She took a deep breath and dialed the number for the social worker. When the phone was finally answered, Brennan let out a breath.

"Teresa, it's Temperance."

"Ah yes, Dr. Brennan. I'm glad you caught me. I was worried I'd have to wait until the twenty sixth to give you the news." Brennan's face burst into a smile as she flopped back onto her bed.

"I'm allowed to adopt Christine?"

"Yes. I have the paperwork for you here at my office. If you think you can be here within a half hour I'll go ahead and wait for you."

"I'll go ahead and leave right now. Thank you so much Teresa, really."

"You're welcome Dr. Brennan. I'm just happy to know that baby is going into a good home. I'll see you in a few minutes." Brennan shut her phone as the call ended and practically ran from the room. As she grabbed her coat and car keys, Max looked at her, waiting for the news."

"I get to keep her!" With that, Brennan was out the door. Max smiled as he handed the bottle of formula to Amy. He looked at the baby, unable to contain his excitement.

"Did you hear that peanut? You get to stay here!"

XxXxX

"Merry Christmas everyone," Booth said when the Brennan clan showed up at his house the next morning. He ushered in the group as the girls immediately ran to the tree where Parker was sitting in wait.

"Daddy, can we please open the presents now?"

"Just a minute Bub. Everyone just got here. Let them settle down first, okay?" Booth looked at the adults as he took Christine from Temperance. The anthropologist had dressed the little girl in a frilly holiday outfit, something that he never thought she'd do. "Anyone want coffee or something?"

"I think we're okay Booth, we had breakfast before we got here."

"Okay then, I think these kids have waited long enough. Just put whatever presents you have with you under the tree and we can watch the paper fly." Booth led the adults to the tree and as he sat down on the couch, Brennan sat next to him. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he could tell she was nervous about something. "Hey Bones, what's up?"

"I met with Teresa last night and got the okay for adopting Christine." A smile spread across Booth's face as he cuddled the little girl. She blinked up at him and squirmed slightly.

"Congratulations! I knew you had nothing to worry about!" Parker glanced over to where his father sat, noticing the baby for the first time. He set down the present he was about to tear into and approached his dad to look at the little girl.

"Daddy, who's that?"

"Parks, this is Christine Brennan. Bones is adopting her." The seven year old looked from the baby to his father.

"If Bones is your girlfriend does that mean that Christine is going to be your baby too?"

"That's not quite how it works kiddo," Booth began, but stopped when Brennan placed a hand on his arm.

"Parker, your dad is only partially correct. I am adopting Christine, but she's going to need a father too." Booth looked at Brennan curiously.

"You aren't going to propose to me are you?" Temperance laughed and pulled some papers out of her purse.

"No, I'm not. I am however going to ask you to be one of her legal guardians. She would be yours as much as she is mine. What do you say Booth?" Booth opened his mouth, but couldn't respond as he looked from Temperance to the little girl in his arms.

"You want me to adopt Peanut with you?"

"Only if you want to. I know I should have asked you about this before hand, but it was a last minute decision on my part and I need to have the paperwork back to Teresa in the morning so I didn't have time for a consultation." Temperance stopped when she realized that everyone was staring at her. No one spoke as Booth took a breath and looked over at his son.

"Well Parks, what do you think? Do you want a little sister?"

"That's what I asked Grandpa Max for!" The little boy started bouncing with excitement.

"I think that settles it then. Where do I need to sign?" Brennan smiled and kissed Booth soundly on the lips before indicating the spot on the paperwork. Russ turned to his dad with a stunned expression.

"Okay, so when did that happen?"

"Those two have been together for years. It just took a Christmas wish from Santa Claus for them to admit it."

_AN: I hope you enjoyed this little chapter from me for Christmas. I know the story in general can cause tooth decay from all the sugary fluff, but I really do hope you've enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. Also, I have one other thing to say. I told you that I have another penname on this site, and I said I'd tell you who I was at the end of the story. Well, here goes. My other penname is goldpiece. If you haven't read my stuff, then you should, and if you have, then I thank you. Happy Holidays and I think that nice reviews would be a really good present for me from you. _


	12. Chapter 12

One Year Later...

"Booth, where's Tempe, I thought you said she was here," Max said as he took of his coat and hat. Outside, snow was coming down in fat flakes, muting the noise of the city. It was a white Christmas indeed with the six inches of snow that had fallen the previous day.

"She's still in the bathroom getting ready. Here, watch Christine while I check on the turkey." Booth handed over the one year old to Max as he headed for the kitchen. The little girl cooed and giggled as Max gave her little raspberry kisses all over her chubby cheeks.

"So we're having a real turkey and not some fake tofu thing?" Booth glanced around the corner at Max and smirked.

"No. I talked Bones out of that thank God. There's plenty of other stuff for her to eat that she doesn't need to make the rest of us carnivores forgo a holiday must."

"Good, cause Peanut here needs to have her holiday meal." Booth snorted as he basted the turkey and put it back in the oven.

"Don't let her hear you say that. She's determined to make Chris a vegetarian." Booth wrinkled his nose and took his daughter from Max. "But we don't want that do we? No, we don't." Chris began to giggle and clapped her hands. Booth pressed a kiss to her cheek and set her down, watching as she ran over to the Christmas tree and pulled a decoration from one of the low branches.

"She's been pretty distracted this week. Is everything okay with the two of you?"

"Yeah Max, everything's fine. I'll admit I noticed the distraction, but I'm assuming she's just has something on her mind."

"If you say so Booth." Booth raised an eyebrow at Max as he stopped Christine from running into the kitchen.

"You think I wouldn't notice if there was something wrong with Bones?"

"No it's just Ruthy acted that way when she… I'm probably wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything," Max said as he waved his hand in dismissal before changing the subject. "So, were you able to get the ring?"

"Yeah. I called my Aunt Ruth and she sent it to me. Are you sure she'll say yes? I mean you know how she feels about the whole marriage thing."

"Booth, trust me. You're talking to Santa Claus here. I got you what you wanted last year. Why do you think this year will be any different?"

"I don't know…"

"You should check on Tempe, see what's holding her up." Booth looked at Max, but as always found the man to be incredibly hard to read.

"Fine, I'll go see what's taking her so long. Watch Chris for me and if anyone shows up, get the door."

"Of course Booth."

"And don't touch the turkey!" Max took the toddler back from Booth and the FBI agent headed back to their bedroom. He knocked on the door before he peeked in, but didn't see her.

"Bones, you in here?" He headed over to the bathroom and noticed the door ajar. Temperance sat on the edge of the bathtub, looking at something in her grasp. When Booth poked his head inside, she looked up at him. "Baby, are you okay?"

Temperance sighed and showed him what she had in her hand. It took a moment to realize what he was looking at, but when he did a grin broke out on his face.

"You're pregnant?" She shrugged and twiddled the test in her fingers as Booth sat down next to her and pulled her to his side. He took the test stick from her when her fiddling threatened to break the thing.

"My cycle is late, and this is the most likely reason." She wrapped her arms around her middle and sighed. Booth looked at the test strip and shook his head. So this is what Max thought was up with her. He turned his attention back to her, noticing how tense she seemed.

"Would it be such a bad thing for us to have a baby?" She looked at him, her eyes wide in surprise as they met his.

"What? No, it wouldn't be a bad thing. It's just that societally there is an optimal age gap of at least two years between siblings, although in hunter-gatherer societies it's normal for there to be five years between them." Booth looked at her and shook his head, fighting off a smile.

"Bones, things happen when they're meant to, okay? And not everything can be boiled down to anthropology. You've said that yourself. Look, I know you're nervous, okay? I am too, but this is a good thing." He pulled her tighter into his side and kissed the side of her temple. "I'm gonna wait outside while you pee on this…" Booth handed the stick back to her and snorted. "Of course you'd get the one with the digital readout."

"I wanted to make absolutely sure."

"What's there not to be sure of? You either have a little blue line, or you don't."

"I'm not comfortable making a subjective observation about a color that isn't even recognized in all societies."

"What?"

"Blue isn't recognized in all societies. There's a progression of color recognition starting with dark and then light. Next would be red, and then 'grue'." At the look of utter bewilderment on Booth's face, Brennan sighed and continued with her lesson in color recognition. "Grue encompasses the entire blue/green spectrum, so you would say, 'grue like the sky' or 'grue like the trees'."

"What the hell does this have to do with whether or not you can see a blue line or not? The line is either there or not. It's not like it would show up pink or something. Look Bones, I'm with you all the way on this, you know that. Whatever happens, I'm here for you, okay? Now I'm gonna stand outside the door while you pee on the stick, and then I'll be here when the result comes in." He set the pregnancy test in her hand and stepped outside to wait until she was ready.

When she was ready, he stepped back into the bathroom and took her free hand as they both stared at the little test.

"How long did it say we have to wait?"

"It said it would just take a minute. Booth, how do you know this isn't going to be a problem?"

"Why would it be a problem? We have Christine, and you know how helpful Parker is with her. One more child would be fine."

"I don't know. It just seems like Christine is too young to subject her to an additional sibling yet." Booth bumped her shoulder with his own.

"Everything will be fine, I promise you." Temperance sighed and looked back at the stick. Her eyes teared up a bit as she looked at the readout. "It's positive."

"Marry me." Brennan turned to Booth in shock.

"What?"

"Marry me. Temperance, I want us to be more than what we are. I love you and I want to marry you."

"Do you ask all the women you've procreated with to marry you?" It was Booth's turn to look shocked.

"What?"

"I'm not some damsel in distress that needs a man to take care of me just because he impregnated me."

"That is so not what I said or implied. I asked because I want to marry you, not because I think you need someone to take care of you."

"I'm sorry Booth." He looked at her for a long moment and stood, moving away from her in the bathroom. Booth ran a hand down his face and pointed to the door.

"Right, well I'll um…your dad's here." He turned to leave the bathroom, pausing for a moment when Temperance called his name. "Temperance, please just…not now." With that, he left the room. He cursed himself as he headed down the hallway and away from the love of his life. There was just too much to process right now, and obviously giving her the family ring would be a bad idea.

He rounded into the living room and approached the Christmas tree, digging underneath for the small box containing the family heirloom. Max watched from his corner of the room as he bounced Christine on his knee.

"What are you doing Booth?" Seeley looked up, startled that Max was in the room with him.

"I uh, I have to get Bones something else. Could you keep an eye on Christine until Temperance comes out of the bathroom? I need to go." Booth found the small box and shoved it into the pocket of his coat before he hurriedly left the house. Max watched and felt his stomach drop. If Booth wasn't going to give her that ring… Oh no. Just as the agent was out the front door, Temperance came running down the hall.

"Dad, where's Booth?" Max looked at his daughter, debating his answer. She looked upset so it might not be advisable to tell the truth, but then again, hedging the answer never really worked with her.

"He went out to get you a different Christmas present. Apparently you've turned down his marriage proposal." She looked at her father as she sat calmly, still bouncing Christine on his knee.

"How did you know he proposed?"

"Because he asked his aunt to send him his grandmother's wedding ring for the occasion." Temperance sat down on the couch and blew out a breath.

"I thought he only asked me because…" She shook her head and leaned back on the couch. Christine climbed off of Max's lap and toddled over to Temperance. The anthropologist leaned down to pick her up.

"This is my fault really. I convinced him that even though you've always said you didn't want to be married, he was the guy who could change your mind. I guess he does know you better than I do."

"And he wrapped the ring as a gift?"

"Yes, but given the circumstances he feels the need to find something that you'd be more likely to accept. I'm surprised he asked you now. He was going to wait until later this evening."

"Dad, I'm pregnant. That's why he didn't wait. God, I'm as bad as Rebecca." Temperance sighed and pulled Christine to her for a cuddle. When the doorbell rang, Max jumped up to grab it.

"Well congratulations on the new addition baby, I'm happy for the two of you. You make sure when Booth shows up again to have a talk with him. He looked pretty hurt. Oh, and mind the turkey. I've been forbidden from touching it." Temperance nodded miserably and set her daughter down to head for the kitchen. Max answered the door, allowing Russ and his family inside.

XxXxX

"Sir, can I help you find something," the sales girl in the jewelry store asked when Booth stepped inside. She smiled at him as he brushed snow from his jacket and stepped up to the counter.

"Yeah I'm looking for something…not a ring…for my partner."

"Oh? And is this partner male or female?" Booth sighed and ran a hand down his face before settling it onto the display case before him.

"Female; Let's get that straight right now."

"Okay sir. What exactly are you looking for? Does your partner like gold or platinum?"

"She likes kind of big, chunky things, and dolphins." The sales girl smiled and cocked her head to the side as she looked at him.

"Well, I have a few things I can show you. Are you okay sir, you look kind of sad." Booth waved off the concern and shook his head.

"I'm fine. I'd just like to see what you have please."

"Of course. I have some nice vintage necklaces over here that might interest you. A lot of the designs from the twenties were plenty chunky. This one for example made of black onyx and turquoise…" Booth looked and listened politely as the sales girl pointed out several different necklaces, explaining what was unique about each one. His mind however was on a completely different track. His proposal was spontaneous and he'd intended on giving a proper one that evening, although considering the circumstances, she still would have thought that he was trying to do right by her. How could she think that at all? Didn't she realize how much he loved her, how much he was in love with her?

God, it was like Rebecca all over again. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he looked over the jewelry before him. What was it about him and women not wanting to marry him? This time it was more understandable. Temperance had always said she found marriage to be an archaic institution, but he'd hoped so much that she'd change her mind. They had Christine together for crying out loud. He was in it for the long haul.

"Sir, which one do you like?" The sales girl looked at him expectantly, waiting for his response. Booth glanced at the necklaces in front of him, but none of them particularly struck him as perfect for his Bones. With a sigh, he glanced over some of the pieces still in the display case. There was one tucked in a corner that was an unusual design. It was relatively simple, but seemed perfect for Temperance. The top half of the necklace was a bit oval shaped, with ornate swirls pulling the rounded edges out to points. There were small amethysts set into the piece, and from it hung a small gold cross, also set with the purple stones. Booth pointed to the necklace and the sales girl nodded.

"That's a great piece, but much more delicate than I thought you'd be interested in." She pulled the necklace and placed it carefully in a jewelry case. "You want me to wrap this up for you?"

"Sure," he said as he took care of the cost. Hopefully the necklace would be an acceptable gift. He didn't want to lose Brennan the way he'd lost Rebecca. When his ex had turned him down, they weren't living together, so avoiding her was much easier. He didn't want to avoid Temperance; he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Christine needed her daddy around, and now they had a baby on the way. As much as her rejection hurt, he intended to tough it out this time.

When the sales clerk handed him the wrapped box, he smiled and left the store, intent on getting on with his life and back to the woman he loved.

XxXxX

"Tempe, where's Booth? He didn't have to work, did he," Russ asked as he sat down next to his sister. His girls were playing with Parker and Christine while Max entertained Jared and Amy with a story.

"No, he stepped out for a bit. I'm sure he'll be back soon." She smiled at her brother and turned back to swirling the tea in her cup. Russ watched her curiously, but didn't say anything. He could tell something was wrong, but knew that his sister would get around to telling him on her own time. He had a feeling though that whatever it was had to do with Booth.

"Russ, why did you get married to Amy?"

"That's kind of a strange question. I married her because I loved her and wanted to take care of those little girls. Why?"

"You didn't need any more reason than that?"

"No, why would I? You love someone, you marry them. I want to be with Amy for the rest of my life, and I want to make sure that everyone is taken care of, so we got married."

"Booth proposed." Russ's eyebrows shot up.

"Please tell me you said yes?" At her look he shook his head. "You turned him down didn't you?"

"I don't see a reason to get married. We're happy together, and everything has been working out. Why is it so important that we get married? Can't we just live together?"

"The way I see it is this. If you love him, and can't see your life without him in it, then you should get married. Think of it as the two of you letting the world know what you mean to each other." Brennan opened her mouth to respond, but the front door swung open and Booth stepped inside. He gave a sheepish smile and waved at everyone when he came inside.

"Sorry I'm late, but I had a couple errands to run." He made eye contact with Brennan as he took off his coat and hung it by the front door. They would talk later when everyone was gone and the kids were tucked in bed. For now, it was family time.


	13. Chapter 13

"Wow daddy, this is the best present ever," Parker exclaimed as he looked at his brand new hockey equipment. He stood up and pretended to shoot a goal, imitating the crowd and running in a small circle around the living room.

"Now we can get you on that hockey team and you can have your own jersey to wear when we go see the Capitals." Parker stepped over the heaps of presents and threw himself at his dad. Brennan watched from her spot on the couch as Christine joined them, laughing and giggling as Parker and Booth began to tickle her.

"Okay, who's next," Max asked as he reached under the tree. He was glad that the tension between Booth and his daughter had dissipated somewhat as the evening went on, both determined to make it appear as though nothing was wrong. For the most part, they'd been pretty successful. "Looks like we've got one for Tempe."

"I don't need to open any gifts right now," she said as her father got up to give her the box Booth had brought home with him. Her stomach dropped a bit, knowing that he'd gone out to get this because of her earlier rejection. She knew he was trying to work with the situation, but it didn't make her feel any better. A conversation she'd had a few years earlier with Rebecca rang through her mind as she slowly undid the fancy gold paper. "_I was afraid that marriage would change who I was, but by the time I realized that I was wrong, it was too late._"

She glanced up at the ceiling once as she felt tears beginning to prick at her eyes and took a deep breath to get her emotions under control. When she looked back down, she saw Booth watching her with concern in his eyes. That did it. She let out a sob and shook her head.

"I'm sorry but I can't…" She shook her head again and took off out of the room. All eyes turned to Booth as they waited for him to answer their silent inquiries. It was Jared who broke the silence as Booth stood to go after her.

"What's wrong with your girl Seel? Is she feeling okay?" Booth glanced at his brother and sighed.

"Not now Jar. You guys finish up with the gifts, I'm gonna check on Bones." Before another question could be asked, he headed down the hall and toward the bedroom. He stood outside the door for a minute and knocked on it quietly. "Temperance, can I come in?"

He heard a muffled response and assumed it was a yes. He opened the door slowly, shutting it behind him before he made it over to the bed. His heart wrenched as he heard her crying into her pillow.

"Baby, what's wrong," he said and sat next to her on the bed. She looked up at him, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I don't like not being in control of my emotions. It's frustrating that I can't prevent myself from not crying or feeling horrible about earlier."

"Look Bones," Booth began as he gathered her into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder while he smoothed her hair away from her face. "I've always known your stand on marriage and kids and all that. I don't want to pressure you into making a decision that you're uncomfortable with, or are acquiescing to simply to make me happy. I took a chance that maybe you'd changed your mind. I'm not going to go anywhere okay? I'm not going to make the same mistake I made with Rebecca."

Brennan sniffled and pulled back to look at Booth, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose, getting an annoyed growl in its wake.

"I hate it when you do that."

"No you don't; you love it, admit it."

"I'll admit to no such thing." He kissed her nose again before looking at her in concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She nodded and pushed away from him, trying to make herself more presentable. When they both got off the bed, he held out his hand to her, which she took as they went back out toward the living room. "So you'll open my gift now?"

"Yes. Sorry about leaving earlier. I just…"

"Hey, you don't have to explain. I get it." Booth pulled her closer to his side and they made their way back to their spots on the couch. Everyone looked at them curiously, but this time, no one said a word. Temperance picked up the gift she'd left abandoned on the coffee table and opened it up, gasping when she pulled the delicate necklace out of the box.

"It's beautiful. Booth, you didn't have to do this." Seeley took the necklace from her and held it up to fasten when she moved her hair from her neck.

"Yeah well, I wanted to." When he dropped his hands down, she turned and kissed him on the lips."

"Thank you," she said. He smiled and shifted to pull her into his side.

"You're welcome Temperance." Max watched the pair from his spot across the room. Whatever trouble was between them earlier was obviously resolved, and a good thing too. He only wanted the best for his daughter, and married or not Booth was the best.

XxXxX

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay here," Booth asked as he and Temperance left Christine's room. The little girl had toughed it out until almost ten o'clock before she finally knocked out. Everyone else was gone in anticipation of Christmas day, and Parker was dozing on the couch as he waited for his dad to put Christine to bed. They were supposed to head to midnight mass and get home to see if Santa had shown up yet.

"Yes, I'll be fine. You two go enjoy mass and I'll see you when you get back." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Booth pushed her gently up to the wall, covering her with his body as he reciprocated. When they broke apart, panting, he looked down at her with a smirk.

"You keep that up and I won't make it to church on time."

"We can't have that now can we?" Temperance kissed him once more and pushed him lightly away from her. "I'll be here when you get back. You go get Parker ready and I'll grab your coats." They parted to do the tasks, Booth rousing the sleeping boy, and Brennan grabbing their coats off of the coat rack. As she threw Booth's over her arm, she felt something in the pocket graze against her leg. Curious, she reached in and grasped a small box.

"Bones, do you think that Santa will get me what I want for Christmas this year?" Temperance quickly withdrew her hand from Booth's pocket, the box still in her grasp as she handed Parker his jacket.

"Well he did last year didn't he?" She helped him button up the coat before giving Booth his jacket to put on.

"Yeah, and I told Grandpa Max a while ago what I wanted so he'd be sure to let Santa know."

"Oh really?" Temperance glanced up at Booth as they shared a look before returning her attention on Parker. "And what did you ask him for this year?" Parker crooked his finger, imploring her to come closer. As she was within whispering distance, he spoke.

"I told him that I wanted you to be my other mom." The boy grinned at her, and she felt her chest squeeze just a little. So that was why her father told Booth he needed to propose. Booth looked at them curiously, wondering what exactly his son had told Temperance. He watched as she pinched her lips together and took a breath, obviously formulating what she was going to say.

"Hmmm, I think we'll need to wait and see if it happens Parks. Now you and your father go to mass and I'll see you when you get back, okay?"

"Okay," he said, smiling. She gave the boy a hug and his father a kiss, seeing them out as they headed to the Christmas Eve service. Once the front door was shut, Brennan brought the box into view and looked at it. The small tag on it indicated that it was for her, and she gasped as she realized what it was that was inside the small box. Curiosity got the better of her a she unwrapped the little box and flipped it open. The ring inside was beautiful, and not something that you would find outside of an estate jewelry store. The band itself was gold, but more of a rose color than the normal yellow tone. The setting on top was pave and encircled with smaller stones, a light blue in color. She stared at the ring for a long time and shut the little box. There were some things she needed to think about before Booth got home from church.

XxXxX

"Goodnight Parks, sleep tight buddy," Booth said as he tucked his son into bed. The young boy had fallen asleep on the way home from Mass, and awoke only when they pulled into the drive.

"Can't I say Merry Christmas to Bones?"

"Nah, let her sleep kiddo. You can see her when she wakes up, okay?" He brushed the unruly curls out of his son's eyes and kissed his forehead. As Parker's eyes fluttered shut once more, Booth left the room, pausing on his way to bed to check on his daughter. Christine slept soundly, clutching a little teddy bear in her arms. He watched her for a minute, smiling. It had been a year since Temperance added him to the baby's adoption papers, one that had flown by. So much had changed in that time, but nothing felt off or rushed at all with the process. This was where he was meant to be, married or not. Parker, Bones and Christine were the three most important things to him and now they were adding another child to the mix.

Booth closed the door quietly behind him and headed to the bedroom that he and Temperance shared. It was only two months in their new relationship that they'd made the decision to live together. They had been partners for three and a half years by that point, and it made seeing Christine so much easier as well. Not that the little girl was the reason for the move, there was so much more than that.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face before starting to undress. He never thought he would be in a position to be turned down twice in his life, and yet here he was. This time though, he wasn't going anywhere. Just because she didn't want to get married didn't mean that Temperance didn't love him. She'd always been very clear on her stand about matrimony. It didn't diminish the hurt though.

"I found out why my father talked you into proposing." Booth turned toward the bed to find Temperance sitting up and looking at him. He tried to read her expression, but she always was good at masking things.

"Yeah, and why is that?" Now stripped down to his boxers and undershirt, Booth slid into bed and pulled Brennan up against his chest. She adjusted the way she fit around his body and put her head on his shoulder and one arm around his waist.

"Parker wants me to be his other mom."

"So that's what he said to you earlier." She nodded and shifted again to look at him. He leaned down to kiss her, but neither said anything. When he thought she had finally drifted off to sleep, she spoke again, but it was quiet, almost a whisper on the wind.

"Hodgins never gave up on Angela."

"Yeah, I know that Bones."

"She was just waiting for the moment to be right." She glanced at his bedside table before settling her head against his chest again. Curious, Booth turned to look at the nightstand. There, sitting next to his alarm clock was a small jewelry box popped open to reveal the ring inside.

"Temperance?"

"Yes Booth?" He glanced once more at the open box and swallowed. There could be no mistaking the message she was trying to get across with that small gesture.

"Will you do me the honor of being my wife and a mother for Parker?" She smiled and pulled away so she could look him in the eye as she gave her answer.

"Yes." He grinned at her and grabbed the ring from the antique jewelry box. As he slipped it on her finger, he leaned in to kiss her, silently thanking God and whoever else for putting a meddlesome Santa into their lives.


End file.
